Forever
by taybaby2111
Summary: Rose Mazur has lived beneath her sister for the past three years. She lost her freedom, her love, and her sanity. But when she reveals a secret that changes everything her sister has kept hidden, she must travel thousands of miles to find her exiled father. Soon Rose learns that not only is there more than meets the eye, but that her sister may just be truly evil. Slightly OOC.
1. Prisoner

**Hello everyone!**

 **This isn't my first time writing fanfiction, but this is the first one I've seriously written for VA.**

 **I hope you all enjoy it! I came up with the idea after reading Beauty and The Beast by littlerichellemead. That story had my heart going all over the place. Then I watched Gone With The Wind, and it gave me even more ideas! So here it is!**

 **Disclaimer: As much as I wish I did, I don't own Vampire Academy, but in no way, shape, or form should this story be reproduced without explicit permission!**

 **I would also love a beta-reader! Though I do spend a lot of time proofreading, I miss stuff a lot. PM me if you're interested!**

 **Okay! On with the story...**

* * *

 _Once in a blue moon does this evil occur,_

 _Leaving one not remembered and provoking a stir,_

 _Until the forgotten one begs for the truth,_

 _In the cursed native tongue and the tongue of the sleuth,_

 _The charmed ones are left at the hands of the moon,_

 _Forever restrained if it not spoken soon,_

 _But if this sacred question is cognizant and spoken_

 _This dark, horrid spell will then be broken_

 _This evil will fade into nothingness,_

 _Leaving the cursed and forgotten in their new found bliss._

Rose woke with a jolt.

There was already a commotion thundering downstairs—she knew her sister would be wasting her days away planning her wedding, no doubt—her wedding to Dimitri Belikov, consort of Russia, and someone she tried her best not to think about. It filled her entire being with indescribable pain.

And she must face him. She knows not when, but she knows soon.

Her abysmal, brown curls frame her face as she rises from her bed, stretching her arms above her head as she yawns deeply. Her bedchamber was nothing fancy, but it suited her. She owned a small, oak dresser, carved out by her father from one of the tall trees surrounding the Mazur Manor. Her bed derived from the same auburn-colored wood, housing her small satin mattress, stuffed with straw and picked cotton, and her thin, woven quilt. Her pillow was filled with cotton, stitched up within a small silk pouch to which she laid her head each night. The only pair of shoes she owned were a small pair of wooden clogs, hidden beneath her light blue maid's gown. She knew she had to dress quickly; for Saige would be asking for her any minute.

Within minutes Rose was dressed, tying her hair back with a small bow she kept hidden beneath her bed—if her sister found it anywhere but in her sister's hair she'd take to it immediately. She slid on her clogs, and began quietly making her way downstairs.

The curtains hadn't yet been opened, but the candles lining the walls had been lit, down to the small flambeau resting in her sister's hands. Rose, knowing her morning duties, immediately began pulling open the grand, velvet blinds, allowing the sun's rays to flood the entire hall. Her bedchamber only had one small window to fill her space with light, but she appreciated how easy it was to shut it all out at the end of the day.

Her sister didn't speak her a word, even as she began preparing breakfast. The other maids were busying themselves with housework, and Eddie, the only butler, was tending to Olena and Viktoria Belikova, Dimitri's mother and youngest sister. She'd seen them before, in a time before her entire life fell apart, and they looked just as beautiful as she remembered. They both had light, caramel colored hair that aligned with their faces in thin strands, and dark brown eyes that complimented their pale complexion. They were from Siberia, which was colder than Turkey's worst winters. They looked to be ghosts, but their rich hair and Cimmerian eyes made added a bit of color to their faint hue. They were alluring in their own way, and it pained Rose to even look at them here and there; it reminded her of memories that she'd never relive again.

Rose finished setting the table, placing Saige's favorite dish, Simit, on the large silver platter, praying that the preparation of this sweet bread would enlighten her sister. Her sister already despised her, and Rose knew angering her would only add to her daily misery. She didn't need it, and she was definitely taking advantage of the nuptial-induced joy her sister had been in for the past two weeks. She hadn't seen her sister this elated since their mother perished, for a reason she cannot fathom, and when their father was exiled. Rose knew her sister had cruel intentions, but never had she expected her sister to _throw a ball_ in honor of the quick and subtle loss of their parents. To Rose, it hadn't been subtle at all—her parents dying cut major wounds into her heart, spiraling her into a depression that had only been numbed by the love of her life.

Dimitri Belikov.

Until one day, it all stopped. The kisses, the embraces, the _Roza_ , the proclamation of love, the _love making…_

And it left Rose even more broken than before. She refused to leave her room for weeks, crying, and wallowing in her own self-pity. Rose didn't have many friends either; her best friend Vasilisa Dragomir was the daughter of a wealthy Lord and her family was close friends with the Belikov's, but even looking at Lissa reminded her of Dimitri. She couldn't bear the pain of seeing his face in everything her eyes saw, so keeping them closed was her only option. She slept for what seemed like centuries, waking up only to cry herself back to sleep. When she finally felt anesthetized enough to emerge from her bedchamber, she didn't even recognize her own face in the mirror. And on top of her broken heart, her sister forced her into the peasantry, making her work as a servant in her own home.

Eddie entered the main hall swiftly, his suit hugging his chest tightly. Eddie's been with the Mazur's since their mother passed—he was a young friend of their father, and when he was sent off to England, Eddie stayed for Rose. Saige refused to give Eddie new attire, so he is forced to work daily in the same outfit—one that is too small for him, and one that is continuously covered in sweat, and occasionally blood. Saige has a temper on her. She knows if she hits Rose that she'll hit back, but Eddie is too much of a gentleman to lay a finger on her. She takes no prisoners when it comes to beating him, whether it be with a whip, the broom, or even her bare hands. She enjoys watching Eddie writhe beneath her touch, and knowing there's nothing he can do about it.

"Good morning, Rosemarie." He said to her softly, dusting the candle holders with the small feather duster he held tightly with his gloved hand. His gloves were faded and ripped, signifying the amount of work he puts in on a daily basis.

Rose smiled at him, her teeth barely showing through her faint grin. "Good morning, Edison." She replied, sweeping the floor with the broom as she looked to him.

"You look marvelous." He started. "You should really smile more."

Rose scoffed, chuckling sarcastically to herself. "Not when I have no purpose for smiling."

Eddie looked quite disappointed by her response. All he ever wanted for Rose was for her to be happy, despite the circumstances. He knew she was nowhere near happiness, but he would do everything in his power to add as much contentment to her life as possible. "Rose, there is always a reason to smile."

Rose turned on her heel to face him. "Prove it. Give me one good reason why I should be happy at a time like this."

Eddie grinned. "Because you have me."

Rose couldn't help but grin back at him, a goofy, lopsided grin that nearly split her face in two. She wanted to give him a playful slap at his remark, but she remembered the abuse he endured from her sister, and she didn't want to add onto it, even if it wasn't meant to be malicious. "I guess so, Edison." She started, her grin never faltering. "Tell me, are you trying to win my affections, Mr. Castile?"

He smiled back at her. "So what if I am, Ms. Mazur? Would you protest?"

"Who could protest to such a gentleman?" Rose asked him, her eyes brighter than they'd been in a while.

Eddie shook his head. "Many could, dear Rose. I just hope if you break my heart, you'll let me down easy."

Rose knew Eddie was joking, they both were, but she enjoyed this dose of affection from him. "Oh Eddie, you know I could never break your heart."

He shook his head in disagreement. "That's where you're wrong, dear Rose." He started, his eye hooded. "You could break anyone's heart."

"Oh Eddie I-,"

"Rosemarie!"

Rose knew the daily drill. Make breakfast, do the laundry, sweep and scrub, gardening, tapestries, lunch, letter writing, dress fittings, more laundry, more sweeping and scrubbing, dinner, and finally bed. It was always the same for Rose, and she's become so accustomed to it that doing anything out of the ordinary made her feel immensely uncomfortable.

So when her sister called for her to enter her study before breakfast had even been served, her body tensed, and she was preparing herself for the worst.

Saige noticed her sister reluctance to enter her chambers. _Stupid girl,_ she thought, playing with a piece of her hair. As she grew impatient, she ushered her in. "Enter, Rosemarie."

Rose took a small step forward, past the wooden door, and urgently placed her hands behind her back. She knitted her fingers together and stood tall, her posture signifying respect—a respect that wasn't actually there.

"I've called you here to discuss today's plans," Saige began standing up and approaching her sister. "We are in desperate need of help."

As much as Rose wanted to spit in her face and flee the Manor, she knew she'd have nowhere to go. Rose nodded submissively, ignoring her resentful impulses. Any attempt to out-do her sister were futile—the guard would be on her in an instant, and the hell she already lived in would increase by a few hundred degrees. "Whatever you need, sister."

Saige scowled to herself at Rose's words. She didn't dare look to Rose as a sister anymore; she's ruined her life. Saige was supposed to marry Dimitri, Saige was supposed to be the only heir to the Mazur fortune, and Rose's birth skewed her plans. But now, Saige got what she wanted. No mother and father to dictate her actions, the man of her dreams, and now her sister—maid—was repaying her for her suffering. Saige had always stood in Rose's shadow, and she was ready to finally take her rightful place upon the throne, no matter which throne it may be. Rose would always view Saige as her sister, but never again would she feel the love she once felt for her years ago.

Saige finally found her voice and gave her sister orders. "I need you to make sure you have the dining hall ready for the remainder of the Belikov's. Today we are to discuss my wedding. I needn't any fault in my plans." She started, circling Rose territorially, as if she'd bolt any second—and knowing Rose, she'd definitely thought about it. "Make sure the dining hall is spotless. See to it the Edison is ready to greet them at the door. Vasilisa will also be in attendance."

Rose nodded slowly, absorbing her words silently. She felt her heart lurch at the thought of seeing Lissa, but she could feel a sudden nausea overtake her as she thought of seeing Dimitri. It pained her too much to even think of him, and seeing him might just push her over the edge. She hadn't seem Dimitri in almost three years.

Saige ignored the pained look upon Rose's face, and continued to speak. "Make sure you tend to Vasilisa diligently. My _bridesmaid_ deserves the best of treatment. And so-,"

Rose stopped listening after bridesmaid.

Her best friend, the one she'd confided in through everything, was deterring to the worst of all betrayals—she was going to be a part of the holy ceremony that would unify her first—and only—love, and her cruel sister. Rose didn't even know if she'd be able to look at Lissa when she stepped through the door. She wanted nothing to do with her anymore.

When Rose felt a warm teardrop roll down her cheek, she wiped it away swiftly and eyed her sister once more, who was snapping her fingers in her face.

"Were you even listening to me, Rosemarie?"

Rose hadn't. "Sorry, ma'am. I was a bit distracted."

"That distraction could kill you." Her sister said wickedly, smiling devilishly at her. "Now pay attention. This is no way to treat your highness."

Rose could only nod.

"Per Vasilisa's request, she wants you to join us in our meal. You must be on your best behavior. Limit your talking to 'please' and 'thank you'." Saige said slowly, hoping her sister would comprehend her words. "You are to pay attention to what myself or my fiancé says to you. Do not make me repeat myself."

Despite the surge of excitement that flooded her veins at the thought of joining her best friend to dinner, she still felt hurt. Lissa's position as Saige's bridesmaid was to ultimate act of treason in her eyes. She still wasn't sure if she'd be able to look at her when she arrived.

"Once you are done cleaning the kitchen, you are to dress yourself. Look presentable."

"Yes, your majesty." Rose responded, doing her best not to burst into tears on the spot.

Saige nodded pleasingly. "That is all, Rosemarie."

* * *

Rose did a small twirl in front of her mirror.

She was satisfied with the look of her attire; her mother's old wedding dress, a simple white gown garnished with thin lace and smooth silk that Rose ran through her fingers repeatedly. She'd stolen a pair of shoes from her sister, ones that she'd discarded in the corner of her bedchamber, and when Rose made her daily rounds, she couldn't help but try them on for herself. Despite the differences between her and her sister, they still wore the same sized shoes, still shared the same dark hair and eyes, and they still had their mother's distinct nose—one that Rose wished she could have all to herself. Saige didn't deserve to share anything with her mother, let alone her facial features.

Her hair was in a small ponytail, crossing over her right shoulder, and a small plait went from her left ear all the way to where her hair spilled out from the small, silk bow that held her strands together. She felt beautiful for the first time in ages, and she was going to savor the feeling for as long as she could. She could feel the tear in her heart begin to reopen the more she thought about seeing Dimitri again, but she knew that the Belikova's wouldn't be cruel like her sister, and hopefully she could get some answers out of Lissa.

Before descending downstairs, Rose brushed her cheeks with some tinted ivory, a powder Eddie had gathered for her when he went to retrieve the Olena and Viktoria earlier that week. He knew how much the little things meant to her, so when he presented her the small, satin tote with the flushed pink powder after dinner, she couldn't help but squeeze him as tightly as she could, and leave a soft kiss on his cheek. Rose didn't know how she'd survive being in that palace without Eddie.

She was very tempted to write in her journal, one that Eddie had also retrieved for her, a diary she'd kept since her entire ordeal began. She planned on using it when she finally left the Manor as a means to testify against her sister in some way, but in their society, rarely did anyone of much power listen to women, let alone a girl claiming to have been tortured by _another woman._ As much as Rose wanted to gouge her sister's eyes out, she was going to be on her best behavior that night. Not only did she want to avoid an altercation with her sister, but she also wanted to receive as much affection from Dimitri as possible. She figured she looked good enough to at least earn some eye contact from him. Just a little something to warm her heart.

Before she could make her way downstairs, she heard shouting from the foyer.

"Rosemarie! Come at once!"

With a scowl, Rose began her trek down the staircase, holding her dress up so her shoes wouldn't catch any of the delicate lace. Once she reached the main hall, she found her sister. Her face was a bright shade of red—anger no doubt—but Rose couldn't deny that she looked beautiful. She was wearing an emerald colored gown, with long sleeves that hooked onto her ring finger. Her hair was braided into a crown, a few rubies interlocked with her dark brown strands. Though her sister was the devil in her eyes, she looked like an angel.

"My apologies, highness." Rose hated calling her that. "I had to dress myself."

Saige scoffed, looking Rose up and down with disgust. "I doubt you put that much effort into dressing yourself, Rosemarie. Your hair is rough and tattered, and your hands are as black as night."

Rose looked down at her hands instinctively. They weren't as dirty as Saige made them out to be, and she's checked her hair numerously in the mirror before she emerged from her bedchamber. Saige just wanted to belittle her, and Rose would have to hold her tongue. That's how it's always been.

"Dimka, Vasilisa, and his sisters will be here soon. Please go seat yourself at the table." Saige said, tilting her head towards the vast table in the dining hall. She hated the thought of Rose joining them for dinner; she was just a servant, and a wench at that, but Vasilisa pleaded with her, and she—unfortunately—caved.

Rose smiled softly to herself and chose her seat. She knew her sister would be sitting at the far end of the table—the head—and that Dimitri would be nearby, so she sat two chairs away from her sister's seat. No matter which way Dimitri sat, on the right or the left, she's either be right next to him, or directly across from him, and she minded neither. She just wanted to be close to him, even if it mean just basking in his presence.

Rose listened for the sound of a carriage, the sound of the clicking hooves and the wooden wheels as they connect to the gravel. She continued to keep her ears perked up, but anticipation got the best of her, and she felt herself begin to dose off the longer she waited.

"Rose." She heard from behind her. Her head rose quickly, and her eyes widened from her previously sleepy stature. When she peered behind her, her eyes bulged from her head as she looked Vasilisa Dragomir up and down. Rose couldn't help but immediately fall into her open arms, despite the angered feelings she'd felt earlier. They all melted away as soon as they held each other.

"Lissa," Rose began. "It's so good to see you."

Lissa smiled against her cheek after pressing a soft kiss there, warming Rose's heart. "You look much better, friend."

They releases each other and smiled, Lissa taking a seat beside Rose. They held each other's hands on the table top, and cowered at each other. Rose was blown away by Lissa's beauty, and Lissa felt the same. She knew Rose was naturally beautiful, but when she dressed herself up, Lissa thought she looked a thousand times more beautiful than before.

"How are you, my darling?" Lissa asked her, stroking Rose's dark brown strands.

Rose frowned a bit. "Busting my ass, Liss." Both of the girls laughed a bit, and Rose continued. "I can't stand working for that wench anymore."

"I really hope this 'wench' you're talking about is not your sister."

Rose and Lissa peered up and found the god-like man himself.

Dimitri Belikov.

Rose felt her breathing stop. Her heart began pounding relentlessly in her chest as she scanned him up and down. He was exactly as Rose remembered him: molten chocolate eyes, dark brown, shoulder-length hair that he tied back at the nap of his neck. His skin was a pale masterpiece, his dark features complementing a ghostly complexion. He was quite a large man, composed of muscles at most, and Rose couldn't help but stare helplessly at the muscles and veins that protrude from beneath his white button-down. She knew that Dimitri was never one for formal wear, sporting a casual white t-shirt and long slacks, completely disregarding proper attire for any kind of dinner party. But Rose knew, Dimitri never played by the rules.

Rose could barely breathe, let alone reply to him. His stare was piercing, and she could feel her cheeks heat up the longer he looked at her. Her vocal cords were failing her, and she couldn't help but succumb to her desires. It took a jab in the side from Lissa to bring her back, and she coughed a bit before speaking. "My apologies, Dimitri."

Dimitri tried not to smile. Though he was in love with her sister, he knew Rose was beautiful. It was that kind of natural beauty that most women vying for his affections lacked in. Dimitri also knew that Rose was nothing but a bump in Saige's road, and that being nice to her would only anger his fiancé. He regained his composure, and his hardened stare returned. "Do not talk about your sister like that." He had to contain himself. "I would hate to have to inform her of your nasty remarks."

Rose's eyes widened, and before she knew it she was on her knees before him. _I've been here before_ , she thought. "Please, sir! I beg of you. Find some compassion in your heart. I promise my words will be of courtesy next time!"

Dimitri grinned, it looked malicious to Rose, but to Dimitri, it was an accidental sign of weakness. He _adored_ Rose, and he was surprised that he'd gone so long without seeing her, but she was nothing more than his fiancé's little sister, a maid—nothing but a wench. He had to treat her as such. "I will pardon your words, Rose."

Rose felt her entire body relax. The last thing she wanted was to anger Dimitri—the memories she had of him were loving and elated, she didn't want to ruin them with memories of him wide-eyed and irate. She wanted to savor the look of him smiling at her, even if it doesn't even bare teeth, she wanted to commit his every facial feature to memory. "Thank you." She said sincerely. She couldn't help but go soft when it came to Dimitri.

"Everyone sit."

Lissa, Rose, and Dimitri both turned to face Saige, who stood within the threshold of the main hall and the dining hall, her arms crossed across her chest. She didn't look angry, more annoyed than anything, but she held her tongue when she saw the look on Dimitri's face when he looked at her. _He still feels something for her,_ she thought. That made her blood boil more than anything.

Saige coughed a bit and spoke up after a moment. "Everyone please be seated. Edison and Mia will serve us at once."

Rose winced a bit. Not only did she not want Eddie serving her, but she hadn't yet told him of her and Saige's bargain. She didn't even want to think about the look that would be shone upon his face when he saw her seated at the table.

Mia Rinaldi hadn't asked for this life—none of them had. But it was much easier for Rose and Eddie to put it past their worries; this Manor held memories for them, unlike Mia, who'd been found on the street by Saige, and forced into labor. Mia remembers it all—the woven sack over her face, the smell of lavender and manure, and the bumpy ride in the carriage to the Mazur Manor. She scowled every time she had to look at Saige, and Rose had always comforted her, but seeing her seated at that table made her heart sink. Rose gave her a look of desperation, and Mia knew that it wasn't Rose's intention to hurt her, but it still stung.

As Mia and Eddie began placing the food onto the silver plates in front of them, Rose couldn't peel her eyes away from Dimitri. All she wanted to do was hold him, touch him, kiss him. She wanted the storm cloud that had been held over her since the day he left her to dissipate. It rained on any parade, no matter how big or small.

Rose felt her anger boil over every time Saige and Dimitri kissed. Every time he held her hand and every time he ran his fingers through her hair. That should be her. It should be Rose on the receiving end of Dimitri's touch.

Watching he and her sister, Rose briefly remembered their last night together. The night she regrets most.

" _Why don't you just come with me, Roza?" He said softly, placing a soft kiss on her temple. She hummed softly as he massaged her scalp with his fingers. "We don't have to stay in Siberia. I know how much you hate the cold."_

 _Rose grinned. "Well Comrade, Saige would throw a bitch fit."_

 _He smirked a bit, moving his hand from her hair to her skin, running his fingertips along her forearm, raising small goosebumps upon his touch. "Since when did you care about what Saige thinks?"_

 _Rose scoffed. "Since the stupid wench managed to get my mother and father to disappear."_

 _Dimitri felt his heart lurch at her words. Dimitri didn't have a father—well, he did, but he was piece of shit in Dimitri's eyes. When he caught him beating his mother and sisters, he did what any noble man would do: he beat him to a pulp. He still had his mother, and wished someone could fill the void for his Roza._

" _I know it's hard, but we could start over in Russia." He began, kissing her again. "You just have to give it a chance."_

 _Rose wanted to go. She wanted to go bad. But knowing Abe Mazur, he'd eventually show up from wherever he'd been exiled—Saige never went into any detail with Rose about how exactly her mother and father met their fate, but all she knew was that her sister was the mastermind behind whatever had happened to them. She didn't want to miss it when her father returned—it would pain her for the rest of her days if he came back and Rose was gone._

" _You know why I can't go, Dimitri." She murmured, and he winced a bit when she refrained from using his nickname. "I love you so much, but I have to stay. In case he comes back."_

" _You're more of a woman than Saige will ever be." He started, placing a chaste kiss on her lips. "You're so brave, and strong, and bold. I'll never get enough of you."_

 _She smiled against his lips and twirled a piece of his hair within her fingers. "The feeling's mutual, Comrade."_

 _She deepened the kiss, their lips moving perfectly in sync. Rose had always know that she was meant for Dimitri, but it was in moments like this that her feelings solidified. Every time their lips met, every time they looked at each other, was just another reassurance of their love for each other. He pulled away, much to her dismay, and brushed her face softly. "Roza, promise me something."_

 _She bit down on his lip softly, and felt her insides clench at his soft moan. "Anything."_

 _He took a deep breath, trying to steady his breathing after the lips bite that nearly sent him over the edge. He wanted her to accompany him back to Russia, he wanted to take her away from her god-awful sister. He wanted to protect her from harm's way at all costs, and it be easiest to do it if she was with him. But he knew his Roza was honorable, she'd put her family before anything, and if staying for her father is what she wanted to do, she was going to do it._

" _Spit it out, Comrade. I won't bite," She paused for a moment. "Yet."_

 _He chuckled a bit, but remembered the purpose of him breaking their kiss. "If you stay, and he come back, promise you'll come home to me." He knew she was going to protest, but he continued. He had to find some way to keep his Roza. "You don't have to stay, but I have to know you're safe. I have to know that my love is okay."_

 _Rose wanted to cave and just leave with him. The boat back to Russia was leaving at dawn, and she could almost reach out and touch her freedom with Dimitri. Although she owed it to her father to be there if and when he returned to Istanbul with open arms, this was a promise she knew she could keep for Dimitri. After her father returned, she would go to him. As fast as she possibly could into his arms. She'd never leave his side again if she knew that her father was home and safe, and that Saige was pacified._

 _Rose could agree to those terms, a thousand times over. "I promise I will comply with your wishes, Comrade. Always. I love you."_

" _I love you more, my Roza."_

"Rose!"

Rose's head shot up at the sound of her sister's piercing squeal. Saige was furious—she'd set strict expectations for her sister's behavior at dinner, and she was blatantly disregarding any order she'd given.

Rose sunk down in her seat, her embarrassment rising with each new pair of eyes that fixated on her. Dimitri's especially bothered her, the way his dark brown eyes studied her face, even as she winced below the gaze of her fuming sister.

"I gave you simple instructions, and you can't even follow those! You are a disgrace!" Saige rose from her chair and stormed over to where Rose was seated. "I don't even know why I allowed scum like you to sit at _my_ supper. I should send you away at once!"

"Saige I'm-,"

"Save it! I'm tired of your bland excuses! Go to your bedchamber at once!" Saige howled, her face turning a deep shade of red.

"Stop this at once, Saige."

Rose and her sister both turned, and found that the source of the noise was the least expected. Dimitri Belikov had risen from his seat, and set a heated glare upon Saige. Saige felt betrayed, and reacted as such. How dare her fiancé defend some worthless wench? "What are you doing, Dimka?"

He shook his head in disappointment. He knew his fiancé was crazy, but now she was being completely cruel and unreasonable. "This is outrageous. Leave her alone."

Saige's eyes widened in shock as she retreated to her side of the table. Rose could do nothing but hold her breath as her sister chose her words. "How dare you? She's nothing but a maid. A stupid wench that's ruining my life!"

Dimitri felt his heart drop at his fiancé's words. He knew Saige despised her sister, but Rose had done nothing to her. She'd been a submissive servant in her own home, and as much as he tried to hate her for Saige, he was failing miserably. "Don't you dare talk about her like that. She's your sister."

Rose's heart lurched at Dimitri's defense. She was close to running around to the other side of the table and jumping into his arms.

Saige clutched Dimitri's arm and lead him to her study, her harsh grip leaving a red ring around Dimitri's pale skin. She was fuming. She wanted to rip off Rose's head. In the eyes of her soon-to-be husband, Rose should be nothing more than a waste of space. _It didn't work,_ she thought. "She is not my sister."

"Yes she is." Dimitri said sternly. "You should treat her as such."

"Give me one good reason." Saige was ready to take Dimitri's head too. She was utterly embarrassed, and once again, he demise had been at the hands of her sister. She was ready to wring the life out of Rose by her neck.

"She hasn't done anything to deserve this." Dimitri said, knowing Saige wouldn't cave anytime soon. "If she's such a burden to carry, why do you keep her around?"

"Because, Dimka, she deserves to pay for what she's done to me! She took away my fortune! She took away the attention! Do you realize how much it pained me to have to send away my parents away? She wasn't supposed to be born!"

Saige was being a brat. Dimitri could understand where she was coming from though—his sister Karolina was supposed to be the only heir to the Belikov fortune, but as soon as Sonya came along, she knew her shot at being the sole heir was out the window. He couldn't help but sympathize a bit with his fiancé, and stop being so courteous around Rose, but something within him wanted to comfort her. But, he had an allegiance with Saige, so he said what any rational man would. "Okay, darling. I'm sorry."

Saige immediately felt a weight fall off of her shoulders. All she ever wanted was for Dimitri to agree with her choices. He had before, and it confused as to why he picked now to say something to her. "Good. I'm glad we can agree to this."

He, of course, had a hunch. "But, I want you to try to be a bit nicer to her."

Saige scowled at him, and stomped her feet around. "Why, Dimka? This is so not fair."

He tried not to scoff. "You're one to talk, Saige."

She felt her anger emerge again. She knew her fiancé wasn't completely on the same page as she was, and she had to do something about it. "I thought you agreed with me. Don't tell me you're going to continue to stick up for that wench?"

"I'm not." He said slowly, trying not to get upset over her use of 'wench' again. "But you need to treat her better. She does a lot for you."

Saige only wanted the conversation to be over. She wanted to shut Dimitri up, and return to her dinner. She scowled to herself— _it's probably cold by now,_ she thought. "Fine. I'll try. For you."

Dimitri smiled at her. All he wanted for his fiancé was for her to be happy, and it seemed to him that she spent more time yelling at Rose than actually enjoying the little things in life. She didn't need to constantly be angry. "Good," He started. "Let's return to dinner."

The two of them swiftly emerged back into the dining hall, Saige's eyes immediately falling on Rose. She looked genuinely happy, for the first time in years, and it made Saige even more upset. She didn't deserve to be happy, she deserved to pay for what she'd done to her.

Rose didn't care about Saige anymore. Not that she really ever had lately, but after Dimitri stood up for her, she had a revelation. It can't always be someone else that stands up to Saige, and Rose now knew that in order to save herself, she had to be her own hero—and bust herself out.

Olena Belikova tapped her fork to the side of her wine glass and gathered everyone's attention. Rose sent a small smile Olena's way, and Olena couldn't help but wonder why her only son couldn't have married Rose instead. "I would like to begin discussing matter on the wedding, if there are to be no more interruptions."

Everyone nodded at her, and Saige took it upon herself to reply. "Of course, Mama. You may begin."

Olena smiled back at Rose, much to Saige's dismay, and began speaking. "As you know, we need the blessing from one of your parents in order for this wedding to proceed."

Saige sat up straighter, and told Olena exactly what she wanted to hear. "Both of my parents are dead, Mama."

"So there is nobody to bless this union from your family?"

Saige kept a straight face as she continued. "Yes."

Rose felt her cheeks heat up. Saige had put their entire family through hell, but this took the cake. This must've been her plan from the start, rid her life of anyone that could possibly get in the way of her stratagem. But Rose knew the truth, and she was done trying to hide it. It was finally time for her to take a stand against her sister. Raising her head up high, she looked Olena dead in the eye and spoke.

"Father is not dead, your grace."

Saige's eyes bulged out of her head, and Rose felt her body tense at the sound of the gasps emerging from the guest's mouths.

Olena eyed Saige with disgust, and before she could protest, she looked to Rose. "Where is he then?"

Looking repulsively at her sister, she tilted her chin and responded. "He was exiled. In England."

* * *

 **Boom. There it was.**

 **I truly hope this story isn't a royal flop.**

 **If you like it, please review and favorite! I appreciate any feedback I can get!**

 **Next part may be up today, but you can expect one exactly a week from today.**

 **Thanks for reading,**

 **-Tay**


	2. Breakdown

**Here's chapter 2 folks!**

 **After the response I got, literally HOURS after posting it, I decided to blow my cover-I've had chapter 2 done for a good 3 days now.**

 **I literally can't stop writing this story. I've spent my entire period in Chinese, and Biology working on this for the past week.**

 **Disclaimer: Again, as much as I wish I did, I don't own Vampire Academy, but in no way, shape, or form should this story be reproduced without explicit permission!**

 **Thanks again, beautiful people. Hope you like it!**

* * *

Once when Rose was a little girl, her mother told her that she was her favorite child. Janine hadn't really meant it, but she enjoyed feeding into her little girl's imagination. As a six year old who'd recently learned how to properly pour tea and fold her hands in her lap, hearing something of this magnitude had boosted her ego by a few notches. Rose had given Janine a swift kiss on the cheek before returning to the large patch of land surrounding the Manor. Rose was an imaginative child, and dreamed of finding her true love sitting in her backyard. She named her imaginary lover William, and had used him as a means of making her sister jealous. Saige and Rose were only a year apart, so of course when Rose first told her older sister of her invisible boyfriend, Saige was enraptured and was dying to meet him. Rose refused to allow her sister anywhere near William, so Saige let out her sorrows at the dinner table that night.

" _Mama, Rose has a boyfriend!" Saige exclaimed, gnawing on her bread with her elbows on the table._

 _Janine eyed her youngest daughter for a moment, and chuckled. "Is that so?"_

 _Rose nodded furiously. "Yes. His name is William, and I love him so."_

 _Rose and Saige's father, Abe, looked up from a letter he'd received, and took in the sight of his family. His wife was beautiful, a young woman he'd found and courted from Scotland—he insisted that they marry and reside in Istanbul. Little did he know that she would bless them with two beautiful daughters. Saige looked like a perfect blend of both her parents, Abe's olive skin tone and her mother's ringlet curls, but Rose was a splitting image of her father. His skin, his eyes, his hair, and his fiery spirit, but she managed to acquire her mother's button nose. Janine loved watching little Rose, as if viewing a miniature version of her husband._

 _Abe chuckled along with his wife, and looked at Rose disapprovingly. "Is there something I should know about, Kizim?"_

 _Rose smiled widely at her father, both of her front teeth missing, and replied. "No, Baba. He promised he would take care of me."_

" _That's very good, darling." He said, exchanging a quick glance with his wife_

 _Saige scowled at her parents and crossed her arms over her chest. "That's not fair! Mama said I couldn't have a boyfriend!"_

 _Neither Janine or Abe knew what to say, so little Rose decided to fill her sister in on her and her Mama's little secret._

 _Rose looked at her sister and sneered. "Mama told me I was her favorite, that's why."_

Rose never once forgot that day, and the nostalgia came back like a slap in the face. She'd once again blown a secret for her sister's demise.

But this time, she didn't care. She didn't care if her sister was angry with her—it was time for Rose to finally stand up to her. She'd put with so much, and submitted herself completely to her sister out of desperation.

She'd had enough.

Dimitri's eyes widened, and his once confused glare turned irate as he stared at his fiancé. She'd lied to him. How was he supposed to know that his fiancé hasn't been lying to him about everything that comes out of her mouth? He clenched his fists at his side and immediately felt a pang of guilt. He was—again—sticking up for Rose. But, how could he not; considering Saige had lied to him about something very serious, and close to his heart.

Saige felt as if she were actually going to explode. Her entire body heated up, and she knew her pale skin was turning a deep shade of red before her guests. How dare Rose? How dare she completely blow Saige's secret when she'd permitted her to step out of her line of duty for a dinner party she shouldn't have even attended. She should behead Rose for the destruction she'd cause today. Knowing she couldn't get her hands on a guillotine, she immediately went for what she knew she could get her hands on. Racing forward at an incredibly quick pace, Saige grappled her sister's neck, and proceeded to wring the life out of it.

Rose did her best to claw at her sister's hands, but to no avail—an angered Saige was one solemn defeated, especially when it came to Rose. But she knew she had to try—everyone else was staring wide-eyed at the altercation brewing between the two sisters. Saige dug her long finger nails into Rose's flawless skin, breaking it a bit and drawing a pinch of blood. Rose scowled a bit, and felt her heartrate begin to increase as her oxygen slowly began to lessen. Saige was literally crushing her neck, and Rose couldn't help but wonder if the dinner guests were just going to allow her to die. She wouldn't even be that upset by it; she'd wanted to die for so long now that it actually happening didn't really bother her in the slightest. But, Rose knew she had to stand up for herself—not only was dying at the hands of her sister the ultimate sign of weakness, but she didn't want to die knowing Dimitri never again felt the love he once felt for her all those years ago. She pushed even harder, digging her nails into her sister's wrists, and doing her best to pry her hands off her neck. Rose pulled with all her might, and sucked up a huge breath of air as her sister flew backward after a hard shove from Rose.

Dimitri nearly broke down at the sight of Rose's face.

It was a pale shade of blue, signifying her struggle for air, and he wanted desperately to help her. He'd never let it show, but Rose held a place deep in his heart, for a reason he did not know.

Everyone still stood, shell-shocked, and watched as Rose finally took her stand; she approached her sister swiftly, leaving a hard smack against her cheek.

"Don't you ever put your hands on me again." She growled, a sound low from her throat. Never once did Saige ever think that she'd cower before her sister, but after Rose nearly slammed her into the ornate wall, successfully spilling candlewax into her hair, and leaving a hammering smack to her face, Saige was genuinely afraid of her sister. Rose took a step back to breath, impulsively rubbing her neck as if to erase the inevitable bruises. Saige didn't move from her spot on the floor, embarrassment flooding her senses as she lie cowering in front of her dinner guests. Rose didn't even care that her fight with her sister had an audience—she was finally ready to take a stand against her sister. "I _forbid_ it."

Saige sneered, and smiled wickedly. "You forbid what, wench? You're nothing more than a stupid, dramatic housemaid with no redeeming qualities. Go sit in your broom closet."

Rose went forward to strike her once more, but a pair of arms held her back. "No, Rose. Enough."

Rose felt her entire body relax at the feeling of Dimitri's arms around her. She knew he was only defending Saige, but she didn't care—he was _holding_ her, and it was more than enough to keep her sated.

"No." Rose said snippily, trying hard not to let her knees go weak. Dimitri's arms around her made her entire body go limp, her eyes see stars, and her muscles go numb. She could barely breathe, but remembered her initial goal: get her hands on Saige. She fought Dimitri's strong grip, thrashing and kicking as she attempted to break free and strangle her sister. A small part—a very small part—of Dimitri wanted to let Rose loose so she could do what she had to do. He wasn't surprised that she felt this way, but her sister was his priority, and feeling the ridiculous amount of body heat radiating from her, he knew letting her go wouldn't end well.

Olena and Lissa rushed over to her and immediately garnered her attention, whispering coos and hymns to try and calm Rose down. Lissa placed both of her hands on Rose's shoulders and began talking to her.

"Rose, calm down. She'll never hurt you again."

Rose did her best not to chuckle, knowing it would upset Lissa. But at this point, she was ready to confront her about her little secret. "How might you prevent this? Considering you will be joining my _beloved_ sister in her union. As a bridesmaid, no less."

Lissa's face went pale. Rose was never supposed to find out about that, and even though she had, Lissa had agreed. Of course Saige would try to sabotage the most important thing in Lissa's life: her friendship with Rose. Lissa had seen the look on Rose's face when she first entered the dining room, but figured that whatever the problem might've been it hadn't had anything to do with her. She meant to fill Rose in on her position in Saige's wedding, but she knew it would've crushed her. _What a friend I am,_ she thought.

"Cat got your tongue?" Rose sneered, looking grimly and Lissa, and back at her sister.

"Rose, I meant to tell you, but-," Rose interrupted Lissa, not having any of it.

"No, Lissa. You didn't. Perhaps all of my friends have agreed to accompany my sister in her union. I'll have to ask Eddie if he's agreed to be Dimitri's groomsman."

Lissa's heart constricted. Rose had every right to be mad at her, no doubt, but seeing her best friend so upset because of her pierced her. She was conflicted, but dropping out of Saige's wedding could be fatal for her. As much as she wanted to protect Rose, she had to make sure she saved herself.

"Rose please! I never meant to hurt you!" Lissa didn't know what else to say, so she reverted to the only thing that would allow her to get a word out.

"Silence. All of you." Saige made her way to her feet and gathered everyone's attention, her body tensing up at the sight of her fiancé's arms around her sister. She was fearful that his feelings would return, but Rose hadn't yet said the words, and Saige knew she never would. Saige wanted to punish her sister, she wanted to really make her suffer. She wanted to confront Rose with the one thing she knew would be her demise—the one thing that would finally break Rose. She was going to make her sister suffer, even if it meant suffering a bit herself. Saige knew exactly what she was going to do to Rose.

Rose and Dimitri felt her body heat up once more, and she continued thrashing beneath his hold. He felt his own cheeks heat up as he held her body against him, and immediately felt guilty for having such unruly reactions to his fiancé's sister. It was highly inappropriate, but he was feeling this way for a greater good—her was protecting Saige from her homicidal sister, even if he could feel his own cheeks reddening as he pinned Rose to his chest.

Saige stepped forward, and returned the slap upon Rose's cheek, her palms leaving a red imprint on her soft skin. Rose didn't cry, or even flinch beneath her sister's touch, angering Saige further. She went in for another hit, but Dimitri swiftly turned his body so Saige couldn't reach her. Dimitri wanted to protect both of them, even if it was against each other, and allowing Saige to beat the daylights out of her sister would be defeating that purpose.

Saige scowled and turned away from her traitorous fiancé, beckoning the other guests to follow her eyes with her gaze. "Since my sister has decided to completely go against my wishes, and behave like an incompetent fool, I will punish her as such."

Olena and her daughters all held their breath. They loved Rose, and their love for her was the only thing keeping them around. None of them liked Saige, they despised her, and they've wondered for so many years why Dimitri had chosen her instead of Rose. Rose was kind, caring, and compassionate, but she stood up for herself and those around her. Olena spent a lot of time around the Mazur Manor, and noticed the gradual deterioration of Rose's fierce spirit. When she had first met Rose, at the mere age of thirteen, she knew that she was the one for Dimitri. Despite their three-year age gap, one which neither of them had cared about, the two had grown to love each other more than words could describe, and Olena finds herself regretting ever visiting the Mazur's—if she'd known things would end up the way they did, she never would've introduced her son to the evil monster that is Saige Mazur, but she also knows that she never would've seen Dimitri as happy as he was when he was with Rose. It was like he was another person.

Saige eyed her future mother-in-law wearily, and returned her attention back on her sister. Rose, who was still held tightly in Dimitri's grip, looked her sister dead in the eye, void of any emotion. She wore a blank expression that frightened Saige even more, but she'd never let it show, it would take a lot for her to ever beg Rose for mercy. "Your behavior has been completely _unacceptable._ You are a disgrace to the Mazur line."

Rose bit back her harsh words, and didn't let her demeanor falter. She knew the descriptions were the other way around, but she held her tongue, and inhaled Dimitri's God-like scent as she waited for her punishment.

"Because you seem to be so vocal with matters that don't concern you-,"

"My father _does_ concern me." Rose spat back.

Dimitri gripped her wrist tightly. "Stop Rose. Silence."

Rose did something she never thought she would do. Something that signified disgust and disrespect. But she figured she had already made a name for herself today, why not add to the whole shebang with something that would tip everyone over the edge.

She spit in Dimitri's face.

He didn't react at first, his mind trying to rationalize that Rose had just done what she'd done, and she sure did. Hot, white saliva trailed down his chiseled face, and as much as Rose wanted to wipe it up and apologize, she held herself up and didn't allow his piercing glare to throw her off.

But to her surprise, he didn't let go. He held her tighter.

"How dare you." He whispered in her ear, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. While Saige was busy apologizing to her dinner guests for the ruckus her unruly sister had caused, Dimitri freed one of his hands to wipe his face, and when he was done, he immediately clutched Rose again. "I'm trying to save you, and you treat me like this?"

Rose sneered. "I don't need saving, Mr. Belikov." She wasn't going to let him treat her like a wench either.

"Well, the past three years tell me otherwise." His voice was cold, a tone that Rose was not used to. "You've cowered beneath your sister. You shall cower before me as well."

Rose was tempted to spit again, but everyone's eyes were on her, and she decided against it. "Never."

Before Dimitri could slap some sense into her, his fiancé returned to the center of everyone's attention.

"My sister has hereby volunteered herself to bring father back to us. You said so yourself, dear Rose, father does concern you, so it shouldn't be much of a problem that you return him to us safely." Saige was ready to put her foot in Rose's ass and send her on her way.

Rose was fuming, anger spilling from her veins rapidly. She was too entangled within Dimitri to try anything, but all she wanted to do was wrap her hands around her sister's neck and choke the stupid wench to death. Nothing but pure, raw hatred could be used to describe how Rose felt about Saige, but as she knew so well, the feeling was mutual.

"No." Rose spat at her sister, becoming increasingly frustrated at Dimitri's confined hold on her. She just wanted to be let go, but she couldn't promise anyone that she wouldn't murder Saige on the spot.

"You may not speak to me that way." Saige screamed back at her, the rage she'd kept pent up finally spewing out. Saige had had it with Rose, and this was the last straw. If her sister couldn't keep her mouth shut, she'd exile her too. It wasn't difficult, considering she'd successfully done it to none other than Abe Mazur—if she could do it to him, then she'd do it to Rose. "Stop being such a disrespectful bitch and speak to me as you should!"

Lissa wanted to cry at the way Saige was treating Rose, but she wasn't going to give up her life for Rose. It hurt her to think that way, but it was true. She could feel the tension rising in the room, and she desperately wished she could take Rose out of her misery, but she couldn't.

"Okay, Lady Mazur." Rose said sarcastically, her head cocking over to one side. "I'll do just as you wish."

Saige was close to tugging out all of Rose's hair, but she knew Dimitri wouldn't let her lay a finger on her. Saige didn't understand why he was so deadest on protecting her, but she was going to use his little Rose-weakness to her advantage.

Saige looked at Rose deviously. "My fiancé will be going with you."

* * *

Dimitri was pissed.

Not only was his fiancé in no position to dictate his actions, and he had to spend more time around Rose—which shouldn't worry him.

But it does.

A part of Dimitri knew he couldn't let go of Saige—he loved her, but he had a very soft spot for her younger sister, who endured hell at the hands of her sister. But still, he was very much into Saige, and protecting her younger sister—even if it royally pissed his fiancé off—almost felt like his priority. He could rest easy with Saige by his side as long as he knew that Rose was out of her reach. He wasn't going to stand by, and allow Saige to continue treating her the way she does for no reason. He was completely stunned when Rose spat in his face—it was the ultimate act of defiance. However, it only improved his perception of little Rose. He knew she was strong, in her own twisted way, and he only wanted Rose away from her sister. It would protect both of them.

But now, he'd have to spend weeks away from his fiancé, with her little sister, on an expedition that they may not even return from. Traveling from Turkey to England was not only a risky path the follow, Dimitri wasn't sure if he even wanted to come back.

Rose began packing as soon as she was released. She was ecstatic, jumping for joy at the thought of freely being able to leave the manor. Despite her denying her sister during supper—slapping her and telling her no to be exact—all she ever wanted was to leave and retrieve her father. She wanted things to play out smoothly—ditch Dimitri half way there, meet up with her father, and hide them both in Scotland, until she granted it safe enough to return to Turkey and ultimately put her sister down. She didn't have any of the kinks worked out—hell, she hadn't even been outside the manor in three years, but she was sure she could figure it out if she really wanted to. Dimitri was smart, but after a few days, Rose was sure that she could leave him in the middle of the night and be on her way, covering up her tracks too. When Rose emerged with what little she owned from her bed chamber, she found Dimitri in Saige's study, eying a map quizzically.

"What are you up to, Comrade?" Rose asked, placing her things on the ground and joining him at the candle lit table.

"Don't call me that." He said sternly, hoping to set a bit of authority over Rose. In order for him to bring the both of them back in one piece, Rose needed to listen to what he said, and do as he orders. He figured it shouldn't be too hard for her, considering she'd been doing it for the past three years for her sister. "I'm trying to find the best route from Istanbul to London. I figure we travel by boat to Romania, and go by horse until we reach France. Then we travel again by boat to England. The London harbor will be right on the coastline."

Rose studied the map for a moment, and questioned him. "Why would you go by boat," She started, pointing at a small patch of land connecting Turkey to Bulgaria. "When we could ride here?"

Dimitri was shocked at her attention for detail. _For a housemaid, she's ridiculously smart._ He shook his head. "That border is heavily guarded, since Turkey has been at war with the Bulgarians for quite some time."

"When did they go to war?"

"About two years ago. Another land feud."

Rose hung her head silently. Of course she wouldn't have known about something like that—her entire life existed inside the manor, and she only knew what Saige told her, which wasn't much, or what Eddie managed to overhear, which again, wasn't much. She was ready to be a part in the scheme of things, even if it was minimal, and overseen by Dimitri.

Dimitri wasn't sure about what to say to her. He was pretty sure he knew what she was thinking, and that pained him. He couldn't imagine spending his life as a prisoner, and although he had no interest in traveling thousands of miles, he was almost excited to allow Rose a chance to see the world.

"So," Rose began, breaking the silence. "How shall we proceed?"

Dimitri cleared his throat a bit. "We leave at dawn. A boat will be ready for us by sun down, and we'll arrive in Romania in a few weeks. There will be horses waiting for us."

"I'm really sorry about all of this."

Dimitri patted her shoulder. He really didn't want to go, and he need to keep his distance, so the pat was firm, and showed minimal comfort, but also told Rose that he wasn't completely oblivious to her feelings. "Not to worry, Rosemarie."

"No." She said sternly, walking around to the other side of the desk. "This is not fair to you. I shall do this on my own."

Dimitri should've agreed. I would've been the easiest thing to do, not to mention he wouldn't have to leave his fiancé for half a year. But Rose needs help, and Dimitri was noble—he wouldn't back down from the challenge of finding Ibrahim Mazur, and if he had to do it with Rose, so be it. "Don't talk like that. I must oblige. We will get the job done."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that, Comrade."

Dimitri was close to reprimanding her of her use of 'Comrade' again, but he wanted to hear what she had to say. "Why is that?"

"Well, once when I was a little girl, my family and I took a trip to Scotland. We were visiting my _Guiddame_ and _Granda._ " She started, recalling her short but sweet visit with her grandparents. "On the way back, we had to stop at the London harbor to pick up some supplies that were to be returned to Istanbul."

"So?" He asked, growing impatient.

"So, someone fired a cannon at the boat. I nearly drowned, and we had to wait three weeks for another boat to come get us."

Dimitri wasn't sure where she was going with this. "What's your point?"

She scowled at him. "My point is Comrade," She hadn't realized how good it felt to say that. "That anything can happen, especially at the London harbor. They are notorious for causing trouble up there."

Dimitri wanted to laugh, but he knew Rose wouldn't be happy. Was she trying to deter him from the trip? As much as he wanted to say no, he was doing this for Saige, and he couldn't back out, no matter how much he wanted to. "Don't worry, dear Rose. I'll make sure you get back in one piece."

Ignoring the flutter in her heart, she asked him another question. "Where do we go from Romania?" She said softly, wanting as much information as she could get to use when she finally decided to make the trek on her own. She was hoping to know Dimitri's route, and come up with one of her own, so if and when he goes after her, she'll be on a completely different route.

"Well," He started, pointing on the map. "We'll go from Romania to Hungary, then to Austria, then into France. Then we'll go by boat to London."

"And how long do you suppose that will take us?"

"Probably six to eight months, Rose."

 _Six to eight months without you,_ she thought. She studied the map for a moment, and made her decision on a route.

"Well, I'll see you at dawn. Goodnight, Dimitri." She said, turning casually to exit the room.

He looked at her for a moment, and spoke. "Goodnight, Rose."

She raced upstairs without a hitch and shut her door behind her. Throwing her things into the corner of her bedchamber, she lit a candle and sat on her bed, grabbing her journal and the small shard of granite she kept between the pages. She wrote quickly.

 _Twenty-fifth of May, 1724_

 _I've reviewed Dimitri's map carefully. He plans on traveling through Hungary and Austria, then to France, and by boat to England. I shall reroute and end up in Spain, and go by boat to Scotland. I shall accompany him to Austria, and break off into Italy, up through France, then to Spain, and lastly by boat to Scotland. I must make it to Spain by November Twelfth, sister said some friends would be traveling on the same voyage. I will not fail. I will retrieve father on my own._

 _-Rosemarie Mazur_

She quickly tucked her journal into her bag, blew out her candle, wrapping herself up in her quilt as sleep approached her, but her thoughts began to wander. This trip could be used to Rose's advantage. Though she knew spending day after day being tortured by her first love, maybe she could find some way to get him back. Even if he didn't remember their previous relationship, maybe there was some way she could win his affections. She'd gone so long without him, and spending six months straight in his presence was enough to make her go crazy. She couldn't let that happen, but she also wasn't strong enough to hold her own with Dimitri always near. This was a test of her strength.

This was Saige's plan all along. Drive Rose insane.

* * *

 **Okay, I'm warning you all now, it's going to be a little OOC for Rose in the beginning. She'll return to her normal, moody, and loud-mouthed self soon :)**

 **Not much else to say for this A/N, but thanks for reading!**

 **-Tay**


	3. Looking In

**Hey guys!**

 **I'm warning you all now, most of this chapter is a flashback. But, I hope it'll give you some insight on Rose and Dimitri's past.**

 **As for the some of the questions left in my reviews:**

 **For the one about the spell, I can't really say! I feel like if I start talking about it, I'll give too much away! I guess you'll have to read and find out ;p**

 **And for the one about why Rose acts the way she does, you pretty much hit it spot on. I actually touch up on that in this chapter, so hopefully that clears it up for you!**

 **Also, I have a little contest going. ALL the titles of the chapters in this story have one thing in common. If you can guess what that is before I get too far into the story, I'll add you in a character!**

 **Shoutout to Lea0014! You're reviews inspired me to post this next chapter! Thanks for your support :)**

 **As always, I don't own Vampire Academy, but in no way, shape, or form should this story be duplicated without explicit permission!**

* * *

Rose was reluctant to get out of bed.

She could feel her heart pounding in her chest just as her eyes opened. The sun hadn't yet risen, and despite the _exhausting_ day she'd had previously, she tossed and turned all night, and awoke with the sky still as black as smoke. Nobody else was stirring in the house, the floorboards weren't creaking yet, and Rose knew she'd wake everyone if she got to work this morning.

Would she have to work this morning? Would she still have to prepare breakfast and sweep the floors? Despite how easy it was for her to get herself out of the manor, breaking her daily habit was going to be the difficult part. She was so used to waking up, and immediately starting on chores. She couldn't wait to feel the sun on her face, the cool breeze brush her skin, and the smell of the fresh cotton and fallen rain in her nose. She hadn't been outside since she was twenty, and her twenty-third birthday had just passed. She's been locked up for three years, and she could almost taste her freedom.

The sun was beginning to show at the edge of the horizon, and flushed shade of pink right at the edge of the sky. Rose peered her head outside her window, and wondered why she never tried to escape through it. It couldn't have been too difficult—the guard was asleep at night, and she remembered that there was a small break in the fence surrounding the house in the backyard. No candles were lit deep into the night, and if she'd stayed up late enough, she could've packed a small bag, and left without a trace.

She never left out of fear. Fear of the unknown. Would she have known where to go? Would she have been able to navigate herself throughout the forests and into the city? A part of her is thankful that she stayed—now she'd have someone to guide her to her freedom. She had to find a way to make it out without Dimitri, and she'd make sure of it. She'd prove to all of them that she could do this on her own. _She'd get her father back._

She heard a small creak from her door, and slid under her covers in fear. _You're such a baby,_ she thought.

"Rose? It's me."

She peaked her head out from under her quilt, and came face to face with none other than Dimitri. He held a dim candle in one hand, and used the other to prop open her door. He must've stayed the night with Saige—he was wearing nothing but his pants from dinner, and his usually tied-back hair was wild and unruly, flowing to his shoulders in a frizzy heap. He was the last person she wanted to talk to, and she made sure he knew it. "What do you want, Mr. Belikov?"

He chuckled at her, and sat at the edge of her bed. She _tried_ to keep her head facing the wall, but her eyes kept disobeying her and catching quick glanced of Dimitri's defined muscles on his chest. "I thought we'd known each other long enough to be on a first name basis."

 _That was until you forgot the three years we spent together, dumbass,_ she thought. She was sure it wasn't his fault, but that was always an unanswered question that hit her like a tidal wave whenever she thought about it. The night after Dimitri requested she leave with him was when her entire life went to shambles—her sister rose to power, and the love of her life forgot _he ever loved her._

To Dimitri, Rose was a friend. Someone he'd known since he was sixteen, and someone he'd told all his secrets too. They drifted apart when he first became involved with her sister, but he knew she would always hold a small piece of his heart, for he would always look to her as an old friend.

"That was until you began courting the devil."

Rose continued to look away from him, even as she responded to him, but when his small chuckled turned into full blown laughter, she couldn't help but smile, even as she crossed both arms over her chest and turned to face him. His cheekbones sat beautifully upon his face, and the small candle he held in his hands made his dark eyes glow, small flecks of gold coming out to play.

"She's a handful, isn't she?" He said back, peering up at Rose now that she was facing him. _God, she's gorgeous,_ he thought, but he mentally hit himself for feeling such feelings for Rose. Yes, they were friends, and his loyalty should've laid with her, but he fell for Saige, successfully destroying any relationship they could've had. Dimitri always mentally chastised himself for never pursuing Rose—he'd thought about it on more than one occasion, but he loved Saige—simple as that.

"More than you could ever imagine, Comrade."

He was so tempted to chastise her for calling him 'Comrade', but the nostalgia that came back at the use of his old nickname sent a rush of heat to his cheeks. Rose hadn't even refrained from calling him that when she first met him, at a ball hosted by her parents. The first time they met is one of Rose's fondest memories, but it's times like these that she'd wished she'd just ignored him when he approached her after dinner.

 _The Mazur ballroom glowed with candles, each velvet drape and ornate pattern lining the wall glowing beneath the bright flame. Ladies in long gowns filled the room with their partners, grasping each other's hands as they prepared for the next dance, stomachs full from a traditional Turkish feast prepared by the Mazur cook, Idrina._

 _Rose Mazur sat on a stool in the far corner of the room, arms folded across her chest—she didn't have a partner, and Jesse Zeklos, a paper boy who delivered to the Mazur's from time to time, was an hour late. She'd invited him a week prior, and felt like a complete idiot when he didn't show._

 _Janine approached her daughter, placing a hand on her shoulder. Saige was out dancing with a boy from town, and she couldn't help but feel bad for poor Rose. "Oh Rose, however can I make up for this?"_

 _"_ _You can't, mother." Rose said calmly, letting out another 'humph' as she repositioned herself on the stool. "What's done is done."_

 _"_ _Perhaps I could find someone to dance with you." Janine proposed, her eyes scanning the room for a set of empty arms. "Give me one moment, darling."_

 _Before Rose could protest, her mother was lost in the crowd, weaving her way through her dancing guests in search of a dance partner for her daughter. "Oh lord, help me." Rose mumbled, stalking over to the table beside her and grabbing another piece of bread to snack on. If she couldn't dance, she might as well do the next best thing: eat._

 _Dimitri had been staring at her all night._

 _He wasn't sure who the exotic princess was, but he'd been tempted to go ask her for a dance since he saw her. Her eyes were the most alluring part of her, a beautiful brown that glowed beneath the flames surrounding the room. He enjoyed watching her do just about everything—smile, laugh, frown, yell, but especially, he found it fascinating to watch her eat. And she did just that the next time his bored eyes wandered over to her._

 _Rose sat back on her stool with her piece of bread, doing her best not to get any crumbs on her dress, but at this point she didn't care. She ate savagely, and was pretty sure most of the guests were watching her, but she still didn't care. Rose would eat when she felt like it, not giving a damn about how other's felt._

 _Olena Belikova noticed that her son hadn't been interacting with anyone for the past hour, and began to worry. Their father had recently left—because Dimitri beat him to it—and she was worried that it was still bothering him. She approached her son swiftly, and noticed that his eyes were feasting upon the host's daughter—Rose Mazur._

 _She tapped his shoulder lightly, causing him to jump, and his mother laughed at him. "What is wrong, Mama?" He turned to face her quickly, making sure she was alright._

 _"_ _It is not what is wrong with me, it is what is wrong with you, my son. You have yet to speak a word to any young lady on the premises." She looked over at Rose before returning her eyes to Dimitri. "Are you going to go talk to her?"_

 _Dimitri swallowed, and tried to evade his mother's questioning. "I don't know what you're talking about."_

 _Olena again laughed at her son, and pointed straight at Rose. "Do you suppose I'm blind, Dimka? I know you've been watching her."_

 _Dimitri felt heat rise in his cheeks, embarrassment flooding his system. Had he really been that noticeable? Surely the girl hadn't noticed, she hadn't even looked at him once that night. Of course Olena would be able to point that out, she was his mother after all._

 _"_ _Dimitri? Did you hear me?"_

 _He looked back at his mother and sighed. "I can't talk to her."_

 _"_ _You can, and you will. She's lonely. Go keep an unoccupied girl company." She started, laying it on him thick._

 _Dimitri felt excitement pool in his veins. He was still nervous, but the olive skinned, exotic princess waiting for him was more than enough to push him._

 _When his feet failed to move, his mother nudged him a bit. "C'mon, Dimka. Be a gentleman and ask her to dance."_

 _Rose finished gnawing on her bread when she finally peered up at the crowd again. She felt no need to get up and interact with anyone, her mother hadn't returned and everyone else was preoccupied._

 _That was until she noticed the beautiful boy strolling toward her._

 _He was beautiful. Dark eyes and shoulder length hair that perfectly complimented his paled skin. He was built well, broad shoulders and muscular arms poking through his suit jacket. And he was walking right to her. In an effort to clean herself up, Rose brushed all the crumbs out of her lap, and sat up straighter, nervously crossing one leg over the other. She smoothed herself out, and patted a few unruly hairs out of her face. She wasn't prepared to talk to a boy like him—he was too handsome for a girl like her. He must've been older, Rose was sure of it. But the way his eye fell on her made her all of her inhibitions fade away. He was all she focused on._

 _Dimitri was scared. Scratch that, he was terrified. The exotic princess was poised and proper, and he was, well, him. He knitted his fingers together behind his back and continued walking toward her, despite every ounce of his brain screaming at him, begging him to turn back around. He was going to know who she was. He was going to know her._

 _By the time Dimitri made it to Rose, the music had shifter entirely—the band was now playing a waltz, a slow, sensual waltz that made both Rose and Dimitri even more nervous than before. Dimitri stopped abruptly in front of her, and bowed courteously. "May I have this dance, milady?"_

 _Rose felt her entire body heat up. She was on the verge of turning fourteen, and never had a suitor pursued her. Jesse was just a paper boy, this God standing in front of her is more of a man than Jesse would've ever been._

 _She was so tempted to nod and jump into his arms, but she kept her cool and tilted her chin—time to use the Rose Mazur-charm. "What do you think make you worth of my hand?"_

 _Dimitri was taken back by her response. He was sure she'd say yes—she looked quite lonely sitting on that stool by herself. But, he wasn't going to give up so easy. "I could never leave such a beautiful girl to sit by herself."_

 _Rose felt as if she were going to combust, and Dimitri noticed. Her cheeks lit up into a deep shade of red, and he knew his efforts were working—the exotic princess was playing hard to get._

 _She didn't want to deny him anymore. For someone like that to be chasing her, she felt utterly flattered. Giving in, she gave him her hand. "I suppose so, sir."_

 _Dimitri's pride was through the roof. He took the exotic princess's hand, and led her out to the center of the ballroom, taking one of her hands in his, and wrapping his other hand around her waist. Rose had never been held this way, by anyone, let alone by a man, and she loved it. The way he touched her, so lightly, yet sensually enough that every place where his body met up with hers was on fire. The waltz had slowed even further, and a romantic aria arose in the room._

 _Holding her tightly, Dimitri peered down at her. "So, what's your name?"_

 _Rose stared back at him, trying not to stumble over her words, but she wanted to continue messing with his head. "Why is a name needed for a dance?"_

 _Dimitri laughed at her, out of spite, obviously, but no girl had made him chuckle like that in ages. "I guess one isn't. What shall I call you then?"_

 _Rose wasn't sure what he could call her. She could always just go simple and say princess, but where's the fun in that? "Whatever you'd like, sir."_

 _"_ _If you won't give me your name, I'm not giving you mine."_

 _Rose laughed, and patted his back a bit. "You're from Russia, aren't you?"_

 _He smirked. "How'd you know?"_

 _She smiled. "You're far too chivalrous. And your accent completely gives you away."_

 _"_ _I'm not sure what my nationality has to do with my name, milady." Dimitri was ridiculously intrigued. He only wanted more of her._

 _"_ _Comrade."_

 _He looked at her quizzically. "Comrade?"_

 _"_ _That's your name. Comrade." She did her best not to blush beneath his gaze. Dimitri was astonished at her free spirit, especially her big mouth, but he never wanted that mouth to stop talking. Quite frankly, he wanted to smother her mouth in kisses, but he was noble—he'd only kiss her if she asked him to._

 _"_ _Comrade." He restated, gripping the back of her dress. "You would choose such a name, wouldn't you?"_

 _"_ _Absolutely, Comrade. Do you have a problem with that?"_

 _Dimitri immediately shook his head. "No, ma'am. Call me peasant if you wish, for I shall bow down to such an exotic princess."_

 _Rose nearly fainted. She'd never been called by such a term of endearment—Jesse usually just called her Rose, or sometimes sweetheart, but Comrade's exquisite choice of words completely made anything that flowed from Jesse's mouth erase from her mind. The beautiful Russian boy staring at her only added to the flattery; the way he looked at her made her feel as if she were the only girl in the world._

 _"_ _Is that my name then?" She asked him, her voice low with anticipation._

 _He chuckled, and instinctively pushed a piece of hair back from her face. "Yes, my exotic princess. That is your name."_

 _Rose leaned into his touch, and felt her heart drop when he placed his hand back on the small of her back. Rose was usually much more aggressive when it came to boys, especially ones she'd never met before, but she had no idea what was happening to her. This boy—man at that—had completely stripped of her defenses. Not that she had much to hide, besides the fact that her dresses no longer fit because of her ever-growing chest. Never had a boy made her feel this way, and she loved it._

 _"_ _So," She started, wanting to know a little more about him. "What brings you to these parts?"_

 _"_ _My mother regularly visits with Consort Mazur. They are in line of agreement that if I marry one of his daughters, I can be the next successor to the Russian throne."_

 _Dimitri had never told anyone of his displeasure of the agreement between his mother and Abe Mazur. If he had it his way, he would court the exotic princess standing before him. He would refuse his mother's demands and love and cherish the beautiful girl in his arms. But, he needed to keep his honor. His father had set a bad name for the Belikov line, and he had to do what he had to do—marry another member of an allied royal family and redeem his name._

 _Rose felt her entire body tense. She knew who he was. She also knew that she and her sister were contenders for his hand in marriage. She didn't know his name, but she knew exactly who he was. He was Aleksei and Olena Belikov's son. Consort of Russia._

 _And she could marry him._

 _Despite her want for revealing the truth, she enjoyed nobody knowing who she was. She enjoyed being embraced because of attraction, not because of her name. At the mere age of fourteen, her hand had already been requested for marriage, but her father denied it completely. He may be preoccupied with the continuation of the Mazur line, but his wife and his daughters come first. Always._

 _"_ _I assume you don't want this?" She asked him, not wanting to blow her cover._

 _He shook his head. "No. Not at all. I want to wed a woman I love, one that I've chosen myself. One that doesn't care about my name, or my money. One that loves me for me."_

 _Out of comfort, Rose took her hand from his, and wrapped it around his waist, lying her head on his shoulder. She breathed in his heavenly scent, and whispered in his ear. "I am of deep sorrow for you, Comrade. If I could take away your pain, I would."_

 _Rose felt her stomach clench as his entire body stilled. He wasn't sure what to do with his free hand, but instinctively, he wrapped it around her body, and began swaying them both side to side. "Thank you, my princess."_

 _Rose scoffed, and protested as such. "Address me by my proper title, Comrade."_

 _Dimitri laughed, and nodded. "My apologies, my exotic princess. I never meant to bruise your ego."_

 _"_ _One bruise is nothing, especially coming from someone of such importance to me."_

 _Dimitri was taken aback by her response. "You really mean that?"_

 _Rose nodded against his shoulder. "I don't have many friends. I don't have any friends, actually. Except for Lissa, but she's from Romania, and they don't visit much."_

 _"_ _Can't you write to her?"_

 _"_ _I do. As often as I can, but she's a busy girl. She doesn't always respond."_

 _Dimitri patted her back comfortingly, and smoothed down her hair. "I am in turn sorry for you, my exotic princess. I will be your friend."_

 _Rose's head shot up, and she held him even tighter. "You mean that?"_

 _"_ _Of course I do," He started, the seriousness in his voice scaring both of them. "I will be in Turkey for another week. I will spend every free minute with you, my exotic princess."_

 _Rose felt a tear approach her eye, but swiftly wiped it up, and kept her composure. "Get ready for some fun, Comrade. I can guarantee that if you're spending anytime with me, we're going to get our hands dirty."_

 _"_ _What did you have in mind?"_

 _"_ _The property on this manor is quite large. We could race horses, hide in the gardens, I can get Idrina to prepare us picnics. We could even go into town, and steal some apples."_

 _Dimitri scoffed. "Why would we steal them?"_

 _"_ _Because." She began. "They're awfully expensive. Plus, I like to give them away to the poor. They deserve them more than I do."_

 _Not only was Rose a peculiar friend for Dimitri, but she was internally just as beautiful as she was on the outside. Dimitri never wanted to leave Turkey._

 _"_ _Sounds like a plan, friend."_

 _"_ _Rose!"_

 _Rose and Dimitri both looked in the direction of the entryway, finding Rose's mother standing in the threshold. Rose immediately scowled as she and her Comrade separated, and she looked her up and down annoyingly. "Yes, mother?"_

 _"_ _You only use mother when you're mad at me." Janine giggled and approached the pair. "Party's over, dear Rose. Your father is ready to go to sleep."_

 _Dimitri couldn't believe his eyes. He recognized the woman as soon as she entered the room. It was Janine Hathaway-Mazur, wife of Abe, and mother of his two daughters._

 _His exotic princess, whose name he now knew, was a Mazur._

 _"_ _Your mother is waiting for you in the foyer, Dimitri."_

 _Rose gasped. Dimitri, such a sultry name for such a sultry man—it suited him well. She liked it, and she liked knowing that such a nobleman as him was her new friend._

 _"_ _But Mama," Rose whined, never releasing Dimitri's hand. "The band is still playing.."_

 _Janine chuckled. "The band doesn't rest until the last couple exits the ballroom. You two have been dancing for quite some time."_

 _The pair glance around the room, and realize they were the only ones left. Rose blushed, and let go of his hand, and signaled for the band to stop playing. A beautiful sonata cut off abruptly, and Rose turned her attention back on her mother. "I'll be there in a moment, mother. Allow me to say goodbye."_

 _Janine smiled at the two of them. "Okay, my child. But make it quick, we have an early breakfast tomorrow." She gave them one last glance before walking in the opposite direction._

 _Rose turned back to Dimitri and they both began laughing at the uncomfortable silence. Rose gave him a swift hug, and peered up at him. "I guess this is goodbye, Comrade."_

 _He shook his head. "Of course it isn't. I suppose your mother hasn't informed you of who you're breakfast guests are?"_

 _She felt a smile creep up on her lips. "I'll see you tomorrow?"_

 _"_ _Bright and early, Rose."_

 _That was new, she thought. But she liked the sound of her name on his lips. Her cover was blown, but she didn't care. All she could think about was seeing him the next day._

 _And out of excitement, Rose placed a small kiss on his cheek._

 _Dimitri felt his heart skip a beat. His entire body felt like a live wire, the spot on his cheek where Rose had left her soft kiss left a slow, enticing burn—Dimitri never wanted to wash that spot on his cheek ever again. As for Rose, she'd never initiated any kind of contact with the male specimen before, so the empowering rush she felt from placing a kiss upon his cheek was enough to keep her sated for the night. Her lips buzzed with anticipation—every ounce of her being wanted to do that again._

 _"_ _Well," Dimitri cleared his throat before bowing. "I'll see you tomorrow."_

 _Repeating his words, Rose smiled. "Bright and early. Goodbye Dimitri."_

 _Dimitri grinned at her before turning his back and walking away. "Goodbye, Roza."_

"Hello? Rose?"

Rose had spent way too much time wrapped up in her thoughts. They'd consumed her twice at the table yesterday, and now she was zoning out before Dimitri.

"Sorry," She started, brushing some hair from her face. "What did you say?"

"I said, your sister expects us gone before she wakes up. Are you're things packed?"

"Of course she does." Rose mumbled to herself. She pulled her sheets off of her in one fluid motion, and grabbed her bag. "I'm packed. Ready as I'll ever be."

"Good. Meet me downstairs, and we'll depart." His smile faded and he left Rose's room without another word.

Rose let her brown locks flow freely from her hair, pulling out her silk ribbon with a quick tug. She'd fallen asleep in her mother's dress, and didn't want to ruin on her voyage. But, she wanted to take it with her and give it to her father; he deserved some sentiment of Janine, considering Saige threw out most of her things and Rose had to steal the dress just to keep it. It was definitely a good thing that Saige didn't notice at dinner.

Rose peeled the dress off of her, and tucked it into her bag, putting on the only other dress she owned. The blue fabric surrounded her curvy frame snugly, but she could smell the faint odor of sweat, and all she noticed when she looked at herself in the mirror were the minuscule stains and spots of dried blood—this dress had been through everything with her, but every time she looked at herself in it, it made her feel weak. She'd die to return to how things used to be: when she was confident, when she stood up for herself, when her mouth didn't have a filter, _when Dimitri loved her._ Her entire life spiraled when he left her for her sister, and she felt as if her life consisted of nothing without him loving her. He was the William that she found in her backyard, and he'd left her without an explanation. She felt as if her life held no purpose.

So when she saw him standing there, for the first time in three years, everything she kept back came tumbling out.

Rose was ready to break out of her shell. Rose was ready to prove that she was more than just a housemaid.

She was ready to be Rose again.

* * *

 **Okay, I couldn't help myself.**

 **I finished this chapter this morning, and I had to post it :D**

 **My offer on a beta-reader still stands! PM me if you're interested!**

 **Now that I have absolutely nothing left to post, you shall have chapter 4 by the date stated in my profile! I'll try to stick to that posting schedule as best as possible, but sometimes it's hard!**

 **Thank you all for reading,**

 **-Tay**


	4. My Saving Grace

**Hi guys...**

 **I am so sorry for the long ass delay on this update... as I said in my A/N, I have been interning, and writers block has gotten the best of me on more than one occasion.**

 **I hope you all enjoy this long ass update! It's like 5200 something words, so I definitely gave you guys a lengthy chapter.**

 **As always, thanks to Lea0014 for helping me with literally everything. I love bouncing ideas of you, and when we chat at 2 AM is literally so fun.**

 **Also, if you haven't read the small note in my profile, please do :)**

 **As always, I don't own Vampire Academy, but in no way, shape, or form should this story be duplicated without explicit permission!**

* * *

Rose thought she'd gotten used to the smell of sweat by now, but after three hours on horseback, she realized she hadn't.

Her forehead was drenched in her own perspiration, and she felt like she'd just got done lighting the fire for main hall. Dimitri wasn't breaking anything—not even a sweat. His hair was still the same way it was when they'd left the manor, and they weren't anywhere near the harbor to board their ship to Romania. _Kill me now,_ she thought.

"Are we almost there yet?"

She was certain she had asked him that about a hundred times, but she felt tired, hungry, and in desperate need of some alcohol—she hadn't had any in _a long time._

Dimitri groaned and turned to look back at her, his deep brown eyes hooded, and a look of exasperation all over his face. "If you ask me that again, I'm leaving you here."

She ignored the beautiful brown eyes staring at her and crossed her arms, sticking out her bottom lip in a pout. "Well, you try riding on a horse in the middle of summer covered in blood, sweat and tears." She huffed.

He chuckled, and turned back around to face the biennial in front of him. "You're covered in sweat, but I don't see any blood or tears, Rose."

"My dress is covered in it. I stink, Dimitri!" She wanted to get some kind of rise out of him. "You can't expect me to get all the way to England in this."

She saw his eyes widen a bit at the stains on the dress, but he quickly snapped back into the stoic statue. "I don't. And stop complaining. When we get to town, I'll get you a new dress." He said quickly. She wasn't even sure if he was being serious or not; he probably just wanted to shut her up. It reminded her of earlier times, when she'd complain about Dimitri having to go home to Russia, and him silencing her by telling me he'd never come back unless she'd shut her yap.

"Whatever you say, Belikov." she mumbled, arms still crossed over her chest. He turned back around and eyed her for a moment.

Then, he did the worst.

"Ya!" He shouted, ushering both horses forward. Her hands were nowhere near the reigns, and as soon as that horse stepped forward, Rose fell off, her once crossed hands immediately reaching for the horse's tail, but to no avail. Her body landed hard, tumbling through a massive mud puddle, and successfully making her dress dirtier than it already was.

Dimitri was now clutching his stomach in hilarity, and both horses were just a few feet away, staring at Rose like she was the ultimate idiot. _How dare he do this to me—who knew how long it's take us to get to town, and who knew how long I'd have to sit in this disgusting dress_.

"You are such an ass." Rose yelled, smiling to herself at the rush of empowerment that flooded her system. She couldn't describe how great it felt to talk to him like this, like they'd known each other for ages. ' _But we had—I'd been friends with Dimitri since I was thirteen, and he knew just about everything about me. At first, he'd seemed too elusive to pursue—I'd noticed him once or twice the first time I met him, but he when approached me and asked me to dance my inhibitions fell away. And no matter how equally comfortable and uncomfortable I felt, all I really wanted to do was stand up, and spit in his face again'._

"Stand up Rose," He chuckled, slowly getting off his horse, and reaching his hands out to help me up. "We'll get you cleaned up. Eventually."

 _He should've seen this coming—if I fall, he's going down with me,_ she thought. She looked at him innocently, and gently placed her hand in his, pretending she's about to stand up. With all her might, she let out a loud battle cry, and pulled him in the mud, rolling over quickly as his tall body lands straight in the puddle of brown goop. His face slammed straight into the mud, small leaves and pieces of twigs sticking in his hair. It took him a minute to realize what had happened, but when he did, his face was priceless.

"You're really gonna wish you hadn't done that." He snarled, but his cheeks wore a flushed red that signified his bemusement. It seemed as if Dimitri never really got to enjoy life to the fullest, and maybe pushing him into the mud gave him a little taste of that—it had definitely done it for Rose. His face wore a mask of equal parts disgust and amusement—his eyes were wide with antipathy, but his mouth was curved into a devious smirk that he was trying his hardest to push away.

And when he did, she regretted pushing him instantly.

He quickly pulled himself to his feet, and peered down at her in chagrin. She wished he would've just admitted that he enjoyed every part of rolling around in the mud, but even when they met years ago, his walls took forever to come crashing down. And now that he's head-over-heels in love with _her slave master_ sister, she's sure she'll never again speak to him the way they used to speak, hold him the way she used to hold him, or hear her name on his tongue the way she used to, sensual, right before he took her to the bed, or the floor, _or the table…_

"Jesus Rose," He started, his eyes wide with fury and his mouth pressed into a hard line. "Now we have to go clean up."

She tilted her head to the side, splashing some more mud onto his pants. "We would've cleaned up whether you had gotten dirty or not, Comrade. I still would've been covered in mud, and I still would've gone and splashed around in that lake. Now, I'm doing it with company." She flashed him a wicked grin.

"This isn't funny, Rose."

Rose smirked, moving her head so her chin is tilted toward the sky. "Oh, so you can get me all dirty, but when you get dirty it's a crime? What blasphemy!" She laid her head back, her voice laced with sarcasm. "How dare I give Lord Belikov a taste of his own medicine?"

She could see he was biting back a smile, and again, he reached out his hand. "Okay, my apologies Rose. Now we have a schedule to follow." She slowly placed her hand in his. "We have to be in Romania in three weeks. Any set back could ruin our plans."

She wasn't sure what he was getting at, considering he'd pushed her into the mud the first time, but she was still listening. "And?"

Dimitri smiled a bit, letting his guard down a bit. "No more horsing around, Rose."

She grinned, and allowed him to pull her up. That was the happiest she'd seen him all day, and there was no way she wanted it to stop anytime soon. It was like a little blast from the past—his entire time with her was like a blast from the past, no doubt—and recreating _their_ past was all she ever wanted to do.

Once she was back on her feet, she peered around the open field, in search of some kind of river or body of water. "So, where's our bath?"

Dimitri knew most of this area, and he was sure he could find his way around here. Eying the land, he knew they were at least two or three miles away from town, and it never registered with him just how much the location of the Mazur manor bothered him. It was ridiculously far from the town square, and having to trek through miles of deserted land, especially during the winter months was awful. His mother usually rambled on about it whenever they'd make their trips to Turkey, but he never paid attention to what happened on the road as a boy. Now, being the one to control their route, he knew exactly what his mother was talking about. _It was awful._

"Hello?" Rose waved a hand in front of his face. "Earth to Dimitri?"

He gazed at her impassively as he was drawn from his thoughts. There were trees along both sides of the path, and the river couldn't be too far from where they were standing. "Uh, not too far from here. Grab your horse, we have to walk a bit."

Rose groaned, and shuffled over to the horse in agitation. She was already drenched in mud, and she had no idea how long she was going to have to walk just to go wash up. She was close to waiting until they got in town, but that's when an idea hit her. She grabbed the horse's reins and smiled at him. "Okay, Sir Belikov."

Dimitri was quite confused by her change in demeanor, but he was quite thankful at the same time—Rose was already too much to handle, especially under stressful situations, but if ever he could get her to cooperate with minimal resistance, would be the best thing for both of them.

"What happened to Comrade?" He asked slyly, grabbing his horse and walking slightly in front of Rose.

"It seems I've lost the ability to pronounce the word." She muttered, looking past his head at the brush ahead of them. She was ready to drive Dimitri crazy.

Following Dimitri's lead, they walked off the path into the woods, trees and bushes surrounding them—among other things; sounds of crickets humming and leaves crunching filled their ears, and Rose couldn't help but bask in it. _This is what freedom sounds like,_ she thought. And though her feet were tired—despite having been on horseback for the majority of her journey—she was excited to experience her first real bath in thirty-six months. She was ready to smell the scent of the fresh ravine, and to cleanse her body like she never had before. She regularly made soap for Saige, so she brought some with her, just in case she found herself bathing.

She didn't think it'd happen this early.

"We're here, Rose."

She looked up from the dirt she'd been staring at beneath her feet to find the most beautiful sight she'd ever seen.

The river, which appeared to be about five or six feet deep, was surrounded by an overabundance of overgrown honeysuckles and sunflowers, surrounding the ravine like a protective blanket. The water flowed from a small current upstream, and the water was a clear blue, blending both transparency and a cyan hue together perfectly. Rose was in heaven.

But, she needed to keep a clear mind. She was here to drive Dimitri crazy, and what better way to do it than to strip down naked in front of him.

Before he could even address my presence, I pulled my nasty blue dress over my head, smiling proudly knowing I left my corset at the manor. All I had on were a pair of knickers, and by the time his eyes landed on me, I was completely bare of any clothing.

To say that Dimitri was uncomfortable was an understatement.

He could feel the flush in his cheeks—the pale skin turning a bright red, and sweat forming on his palms. He knew this would end badly if he didn't cover up anytime soon—badly for him, anyway.

"Rose, you couldn't have waited until I turned around?" He said, trying to convince himself to keep his head turned to the other side.

She smirked, and began running the lavender bar up and down her leg, all of her lady parts hanging loose. "Calm down, Comrade. It's nothing you haven't seen before."

Dimitri couldn't deny that Rose was beautiful—she made her own definition of the word. Her almond cheeks wore a rosy blush that made his own pale skin heat up. Her eyes, a chocolate brown, nearly melted into every gaze she bore. When angry, her looks could easily kill, but when a smile grazed her lips, her eyes alight into a golden brown firework, each yellow hue visible with each look into her mesmerizing oculars. But it was her attitude that intrigued Dimitri the most. Not even twenty-four hours after leaving the manor, she went from submissive house maid to the girl he remembers as his best friend—the spunky, take-no-shit girl who always managed to get the two of them in trouble when they were together. And despite the fact that he was equally mesmerized and hit with a sudden wave of nostalgia, he felt a pang of guilt at seeing his fiancé's sister up close and personal.

"Rose," He started, clearing his throat. "C'mon. This isn't appropriate."

Rose chuckled and looked him right in the eye as she continued to wash herself. "Like I said Comrade, it's nothing you haven't seen before."

To say Dimitri was confused was an understatement.

What did she mean? Rose was his best friend, there's no way he'd ever want to see her like that, let alone actually see her like that. She was being absolutely absurd, and he wasn't going to have it.

"This is outrageous. Hurry up and finish washing yourself."

Rose giggled, and shook herself around a bit to hold his attention. "No one's asking you to look, Dimitri. Loosen up a bit."

What did beguile him about seeing Rose naked was the fact that it was unworldly familiar, as if he really had seen it before. He couldn't pinpoint one specific memory, but to a certain degree, he figured that she might just be telling the truth.

At that moment, he turned his head, doing his best not to let his eyes wander back over to the beautifully naked girl behind him. Rose couldn't help but smirk at his efforts. "You know, I'm not the only one that was covered in mud."

Dimitri closed his eyes for a moment, and took a deep breath before speaking. "I would've at least allowed for a bit of decency in your presence."

Rose couldn't help but laugh. "This is a decent as it gets, Comrade. We're both facing opposite directions. Now either clean yourself off or shut up so I can."

Rose felt utterly and immensely empowered; she knew she was affecting him in more ways than one. His cheeks were red, his pupils were dilated, and his voice was shaky—she knew she wasn't putting her clothes back on anytime soon. This was exactly the reaction she wanted out of him.

Despite his discomfort, Dimitri slipped out of his clothing—slowly and unwillingly—wiping off the dirt and the small pieces of sticky grass off his pale skin. And despite his objection at Rose's sudden nudity, he couldn't help but take quick peeks at her naked body. She looked _magnificent,_ enough for him to feel a twinge beneath his skin, and a spike in his temperature. He had to admit, she was much better looking than Saige. Of course when they were friends, he never looked at her in a tantalizing manor, but he didn't really know what to consider their relationship anymore. He hadn't seen or talked to Rose in three years—all he ever heard about was what Saige told him, which usually consisted of _'that stupid wench'_ or _'I should kill her already'_ which made Dimitri's heart constrict at such vile words being spat about his best friend. Rose was his everything for a large portion of his life, be he found love with Saige, something he still questions now and then.

"Comrade?"

Dimitri snapped up, and began to dry off with a small cloth tucked away in his bag. "Yes, Rose?"

She put her hands on her bare hips and burned her gaze into her skin—he could almost feel it. "I have nothing else to wear."

Dimitri bit his tongue, swallowing hard to prevent himself from muttering the loud sigh he'd been holding back since he saw rose naked. He was still trying to keep himself form looking at her bare body, and he was slowly beginning to fail. "I'm not sure what you want me to do about that."

Rose lightened up her voice a bit, doing her best to coax him into turning his head. "You need to find something else for me to put on"

Dimitri took a deep breath, and blinked slowly, regaining his composure. "And how is your attire my responsibility, Rose?"

She chuckled to herself. "Considering you have more clothes in your bag than I do in my closet, I figured you'd be just fine with giving me something so I could dress myself."

"I'm not sure what you want me to do, Rose." Dimitri didn't mean to sound hostile, but he genuinely didn't know what to do for her—he did know that he needed to cover her up.

"I have an idea." Rose said, grabbing his duster from his horse's saddle. She wrapped it around her body and buttoned it up, pulling the collar up over her face, inhaling his scent before speaking. "You can look now."

And look he did.

Turning his head over toward the sound of Rose's voice, he saw something he'd only secretly fantasized about. His duster was wrapped up in Rose Hathaway.

She looked fantastic in it, even better than Saige did—she'd thrown on his duster from time to time in an attempt to seduce him—but not even his fiancé could beat just how downright stunning Rose looked wearing nothing but a duster, _his_ duster.

Dimitri finished slipping on his pants, not even realizing that Rose had seen him naked this whole time, and threw his cloth into his bag. "Are you ready to go, Rose?"

She smiled, and hopped right back on her horse. "Untie me. I'm ready when you are."

Dimitri looked at her tattered dress on the ground, and eyed her wearily. "You're not taking that with you?"

Rose looked him dead in the eye, emotion void from her expression. "No. that dress signifies a time in my life when I was weak. I want nothing more to do with it."

And as Dimitri watched her horse slowly pull her ahead of him, he couldn't help but see that beautiful, strong girl that he used to know reappear.

* * *

"Hurry up and pick something out! We don't have all day, Rose."

Clutching Dimitri's duster closer to her body, she scanned the many dresses lining the town square. Shop keepers yelled out different prices as she passed them, and she only had twenty five cents to work with—Dimitri refused to give her anymore money, he knew she'd spend it all.

Rose's frustration was growing as more civilians kept bumping into her. She really just wanted to find something to wear—the faster she did, the sooner her and Dimitri would be able to stop for the night—and she could get some sleep.

Nothing she saw caught her eye. She was bored, no doubt, but she needed to pick something fast.

None of them held her attention like dresses she received from Yeva, Dimitri's grandmother, who used to send her all kinds of handmade dresses when the two of them were friends. Not that she needed any of them, but they were sentimental to her because Yeva was a very hard woman to please, and Rose knew she's actually won her approval. But as soon as Saige took control over her life, those dresses were in the garbage. She tried to snag one late into the night, but the guard caught her, and sent her right back into her room.

"Having some trouble?"

Startled, Rose turned around and slammed into a solid body before her.

"What the hell?" She pushed him off her, and wiped herself clean. "You could've at least said excuse me."

The boy chuckled, and toyed with the collar of Dimitri's duster. "Well, you looked like you were struggling, and I could never allow a lady to just keep walking without helping her."

Rose pushed his hands away and let out a _'humph'._ "I am in no need of your help sir. Now if you'll excuse me-,"

The boy softly gripped her shoulders, a pleading yet sarcastic look upon his face. "C'mon, milady. I only want to help you."

Rose cocked her head to the side, doing her best to show him that she wasn't having it. This guy didn't want to stop, but she was going to get him away from her.

But that was until she saw Dimitri's face.

He was furious.

His eyes were piercing into the boy before her, staring as if he looked long enough, the boy would eventually burst into flames. As if staring at him would make his entire body melt and disintegrate into nothing. Dimitri was jealous. _Dimitri was jealous._

Rose lifted her chin up. She couldn't help but smile back at the boy in front of her, and change her demeanor completely. "You know what, I'd actually love some help."

The boy in front of her looked behind him, and found the exact source of her cocky smile. "Who's that?" He asked maliciously, smirking just as hard as she was.

She blushed feverously, and interlocked her arm with the strange boy beside her. "Someone who isn't as incompetent as I thought."

The boy was a bit befuddled by her choice of words, but ignored his confusion and released her arm. Standing in front of her with his arms behind his back, he bowed. "Adrian Ivashkov."

She blushed as he kissed the top of her hand softly. "Rose Mazur."

Adrian stood back up and locked their arms again. "You're a Mazur, eh?" He lightly brushed her arm with his fingers. "Only Mazur I've ever heard about is Saige."

Rose cringed at his mention of the wretched shedevil. "Don't even say her name. I can't stand that stupid bitch."

Adrian laughed, taken aback by her sudden outburst. "I think someone doesn't like her all too much."

Rose shook her head. "Not at all. You wouldn't like her either, if you met her. But I wouldn't wish that on anyone."

Adrian already liked Rose. She was loud and spunky, and despite her personal vendetta against the Turkish princess, he couldn't help but be ridiculously enticed by her very loud attitude.

"So," He began, looking over some of the dresses around the square. "How are you related to the Mazur line? I mean, it's not usual for a Mazur to just show up in the middle of town square."

Rose nodded in understanding, but cringed as she spoke. "I'm her sister."

Adrian's eyes widened. "No shit. You're the other princess?"

Rose nodded.

"I thought the princess's sister was dead."

Rose looked at him angrily, and lightly smacked his head. "How dare you? I mean, it was never confirmed, was it?"

He nods. " _Everyone around Turkey_ _thinks you're dead."_

Rose didn't speak. She was too enveloped in Dimitri to even think about the possible outcomes of leaving the manor for the first time in three years. Did she think everyone would think she was dead? No, but did she expect something like that out of Saige? She wouldn't expect anything less.

Ignoring his last comment, Rose looked up at Adrian. She couldn't deny that he was good looking—he smelled a little too much like cigarettes for her taste, but she could get past that—and his attitude lit up everything around him. She could get used to being around someone like him. "What would you recommend?"

"Huh?" He said, looking back at her, as if the last ten seconds he'd been somewhere else.

"What dresses would you recommend? I need one very soon."

He cracked a smile. "I was just about to ask you about that ridiculous duster."

She grinned back, and smiled at him. "I want it off as soon as possible."

He peered around the shops, and found the one he always went to. Adrian had a habit of womanizing his way to getting what he wants, and one of the first gifts he sends the objects of his affection, is a dress. _Now to find her address,_ he thought.

When his eyes landed on his aunt Tatiana's shop, he gripped Rose's hand tightly, and hauled her over.

"Adrian?" She asked. "What's going on?"

He smiled triumphantly, and looked at Rose. "Aunt Tati, this is my friend Rose. She needs a dress."

Rose was beyond nervous, but the prices on the dresses freaked her out even more. The cheapest one she could find was more than a dollar, and she didn't have that much money on her. She probably never would.

Tatiana was quite pretty. Her hair had begun to grey a bit, but her high cheekbones and bright eyes kept her looking as youthful as possible for a woman her age.

"Well, take a look around, and tell me what you like, Miss Rose."

Rose was taken aback by her words. She hadn't been addressed by a title in so long, she almost didn't want to be. It made her feel like Saige, and that made her feel even worse. So, before venturing off and looking for a dress that suited her, she politely gathered Tatiana's attention. "Just call me Rose."

Tatiana smiled, and ushered her farther into her small shop. "Sure thing, dear. Now, what are you looking for?"

Rose pulled the twenty-five cents out of the duster pocket and opened up her hand. "I don't have enough money to afford your dresses." She was utterly embarrassed. "I should probably just go."

Adrian gripped her arm, and pulled her back in. "Not so fast. I'll pay for it. No worries."

Rose sneered, and crossed her arms. "No. I will not have someone pay for me. I'll find someone else to shop from."

Adrian grabbed her again, and despite her thrashing, held her in place. "No. You're my friend, this is the least I can do. Now pick something out."

She huffed, but she couldn't say no to him. He was the nicest person she'd encountered in such a long time. And as much as she wanted to push her pride in his face and go shop around by herself, she gave in. "Fine. But you're keeping my money." Without another word, she placed the coins in the palm of his hand.

He didn't speak after that, and Rose wandered around the small shop, running her hands through the fabrics and gripping others. They were all gorgeous, but none of them caught her eye much like the ones that were thrown away at the manor.

Tatiana appeared out of nowhere, a dress in hand. "I just finished making this one today. If you like it, and it fits, it's yours."

As soon as she laid her eyes on it, Rose knew that it was the one.

The dark blue, velvet fabric was enough to make her want to take it from Tatiana and shove herself into it. But the lacing of the bust, and the ribbons hanging from behind captured her attention even more. The sleeves were short, but if she got cold, Dimitri's duster was always an option…

"So," Tatiana said, folding the dress up in her hands. "Do you like it?"

Rose nodded. "If it fits, I want it." She said quickly, earning a laugh from Adrian. "How much does it cost?"

Adrian shook his head, and placed the dress in Rose's arms. "You don't worry about that, little princess. I got this."

She glared at him in chagrin. He had no reason to help her, but he still is—Rose couldn't help but wonder if this was some kind of scam. Maybe he wanted to get closer to Saige through her. And even if that was his intention, he wouldn't get very far; Saige is engaged, to the big, bad, Russian heir no less. Once she marries him, she'll have nothing to do with Turkey anymore.

Rose made her way behind the small sheet in Tatiana's shop, lit only by a single candle, and began sliding into the dress. It fit nicely, but it was a bit loose in the back. She'd just have Tatiana tie it for her once she came out.

Duster in hand, she emerged, doing a slight twirl before Adrian and his aunt.

"How's it feel?" Tatiana raced over toward her and felt the fabric on Rose's skin.

"A little loose, but I haven't tied the back yet."

Before his aunt even had a chance to react, Adrian was over in a flash, tying the back of Rose's dress without a hitch. He was surprisingly good at it, and Rose didn't want to protest. She was in slight awe of him. When his fingers would accidentally brush her skin, goosebumps covered the area immediately, and Adrian took notice, she was as nervous around him as he was.

"So," Tatiana coughed, catching Rose's attention. "Would you like anything else?"

Rose nodded. "Undergarments." She said under her breath.

"Pardon?"

Adrian chuckled behind her, and she scoffed. "Undergarments. I need undergarments."

"Oh," Tatiana giggled a bit. She walked over to another wooded stand and grabbed a pair of white, silk knickers. "If that dress fit you, these should fit also."

Rose grabbed them, and walked back behind the curtain, sliding them up quickly before emerging again. Looking Tatiana over, she spoke. "They fit."

Adrian smirked at her, and approached her from behind. "You weren't wearing anything under than duster?"

Rose chuckled, and lowly spoke. "Absolutely nothing."

Adrian coughed a bit. "Oh, sweet Jesus."

Rose laughed, clutching her stomach tightly. She could get used to this.

Adrian regained his composure, and tapped Rose's shoulder. "All set, little princess?"

She nodded. "I can't thank you enough for all of this, Adrian."

"S'no problem. Let me pay, and I'll walk you back out."

Rose nodded again, and exited the small hut. She pressed her back against a wooden pillar and smiled, running her fingers through her unruly hair. Despite how happy she was, she was worried about Adrian. What if she never saw him again? What if Dimitri says something to him for pulling her away? She could live with herself knowing that Adrian hasn't been pummeled by a huge Russian giant, but if he did anything to him, and then made the two of them leave, she wouldn't have the slightest idea of what to do.

"There you are."

Snapping out of her daze, she looked up, and found the Russian giant himself.

"Hey Comrade." She smoothed down her dress. "I found one."

"I can tell." He said angrily, but the eyes that were looking her up and down said otherwise.

"Here's your duster." She placed the jacket in his hands. "Let me just say goodbye to Adrian before we-,"

"There's no time. We have to go."

"But Dimitri-,"

"No, Rose. We're leaving. Now come on, don't make me pick you up and drag you."

She huffed, and followed him out, wondering if she's ever seen her emerald-eyed savior again.

* * *

 **Okay, so Adrian is here! He plays a major role in this story, so don't worry, you'll be seeing more of him :)**

 **I wanted her to have a nickname from him with the whole 'little _' thing, so I thought little princess was perfect.**

 **I hope you guys liked the chapter!**

 **-Tay**


	5. Reflections

**Surprise!**

 **Okay guys I know I have a lot of explaining to do... Sorry?**

 **Lately I just haven't really been up to writing, just lack of enthusiasm, but I've been listening to a lot of new music lately, and music tends to get my 'creative juices' flowing, so I got some ideas, and figured I'd give you guys a chapter today!**

 **Has anybody figured out the similarity between the chapter titles? That offer still stands!**

 **I was not going to let two months go by without a part, so here it is!**

 **And btw, to anybody out there who is a fan of RnB music, go listen to Distraction by Kehlani... Gave me inspiration for this part, plus other things, but that's besides the point, it's a fire ass song :P**

 **Just to warn you, today's chapter will be a dream/flashback, but they'll be on the boat to Romania really soon...**

 **As always, I don't own Vampire Academy, but in no way, shape, or form should this story be duplicated without explicit permission!**

* * *

As much as Dimitri didn't want to admit it, even to himself, seeing Rose with another man made his blood boil. And, as much as his love for Saige made him head spin, he was almost grateful for Rose being isolated all that time-he didn't have to see her with anyone else.

His ongoing jealousy made him regret his past decisions: ignoring her, yelling at her, _degrading her._ In another life, he imagined that she'd been the one who took control and put Dimitri in his place, and he'd give anything to cower before _her._

Being alone with Rose made him feel things he never thought he'd felt before, almost as if there were blank spots in his mind. And as much as every part of him denied it, he knew there had to be a reason for why he a Rose never became a thing.

Rose lept from her horse's saddle and tied him off, looking to Dimitri for guidance. She felt confident in her blue satin dress; she liked the way it hugged her figure, and accentuated her assets, despite the fact that her breasts were practically busting from the top, considering how tight Adrian had looped the ties. Normally, Rose would've been rapid-firing instructions, even in the bedroom, but she allowed that newly-acquired submissive part of her wait for Dimitri's word. She figured that if she listened to him, she'd have less of a problem winning him back, and although every other ounce of her mind knew there was no chance that Dimitri would be her's again, a girl can sure as hell dream.

She began tapping her foot impatiently against a wooden stair, and stared at him idly. "Hello? What are we doing?"

He turned to her, reaching for her hand. "We're going to spend the night in this inn. We'll leave at dawn for the harbor."

"As long as I get some sleep, I don't care where we go." She sneered, pulling her hand back as he reached for it. "And what the hell do you think you're doing?"

Dimitri was almost hurt from their lack of contact; he was almost sure that she'd be more than eager to take his hand. But he had to ignore his feelings. "This inn will only allow us to stay together if we're married. You need to pretend to be my wife."

She tilted her head and crossed her arms. "So I have to pretend to be Saige, right?"

He didn't answer.

Despite the fact that Rose despised her sister, she'd always wished she could've been her. She would've done everything differently. She would feed the poor, she would be kind and considerate, but most importantly, she wouldn't have sent her father away, and she sure as hell wouldn't have killed her own mother. She figure that this was her opportunity to be that Saige. Be the Saige that the rest of Turkey wanted.

So, she nodded her head, but resisted putting her hand in his. "Okay, but what do I get in return?"

Dimitri smirked a bit, trying not to smile, and gave her an offer he knew she couldn't resist. "You can have the king bed we're getting all to yourself."

With that, her eyes lit up, and finally she placed her hand in his.

The inn was probably the most comforting place Rose had been in a while. From the smokey fire lighting up the main lobby, to the satin tapestries covering the long, glass windows along the walls. It was warm, and she could tell what kind of wood that was burning: pine. Her mother loved the smell of burning pine, especially during Christmas time, so her father would cut down pine trees just so her mother could burn the wood. The aroma would fill the entire palace, traveling underneath doors, and through walls it seemed, and it followed Rose wherever she went. It clung to her clothing, and stuck in her hair, to the point where she'd have to bathe twice just to get it out. But, she didn't always want to, it reminded her of her mother, and the night she died, a burning pine comforted her as she cried through the night.

A woman, looking to be about thirty, peered at the pair with kind eyes, brushing her auburn strands from her face. Rose could see a faint blush appear upon her face, and she knew the young lady was swooning a bit over Dimitri.

 _Not on my watch,_ she thought.

In retaliation, she released his hand, and gripped his bicep, causing his breath to hitch, and the attendant to straighten up a bit. She coughed, and spoke. "How may I help the two of you?"

Rose's fingers dug into his skin as she held onto him, and Dimitri could barely speak. That was the most contact he's had with her, and it was almost enough to make him lose control. Noticing his lack of words, Rose spoke up. "My husband and I would like a room."

The attendant nodded. "This inn is completely vacant. Any room you wish for is open."

Rose knew exactly what she wanted. "Your largest, and most expensive room. Only the best for my husband."

She nodded again, and grabbed a small key from a drawer on the desk. "Here you go."

"How much for this room?" Rose asked, using her free arm to stroke Dimitri's. She felt devious in her torturous touching, and knew she was driving him crazy.

Looking more nervous than ever, the attendant spoke. "I'll charge you in the morning. Enjoy you're stay, ma'am."

Rose tilted her head. "Thank you. Come along darling." Slowly, she began pulling an incompetent Dimitri along with her, and waved goodbye to the nice young lady behind the counter.

When they reached the top floor and entered the room, Rose's mouth dropped.

There was a ginormous canopy bed in the center of the room, covered in white, silk sheets and fluffy pillows. There was a candle chandelier hanging from the ceiling, and a fire place across from the foot of the bed. Rose took a few steps forward and sunk her toes into the fur rug on the ground, closing her eyes at the nostalgia.

This was the room that her and Dimitri first made love in.

He had taken her there for her eighteenth birthday, hoping to surprise her, and the heat between the two of them escalated tremendously.

She knew the inn looked quite familiar, but she couldn't put her finger on it, not until she got to the room, anyway. Sadly, she knew Dimitri wouldn't remember a minute of it.

Dimitri, who'd sat at the edge of the bed, put his head in his hands, and when Rose looked at him, her eyes softened. "What's wrong?"

He looked at at her, enraptured at the glow that covered her in the shadow of the lit fireplace. He wasn't sure about what to say to her; considering that in that moment he was questioning all the choices he'd ever made since meeting the Mazur's. And Rose clinging to him like a monkey in the lobby didn't help him clear his head.

"Nothing." He started, mentally smacking himself for lying to her. "Just tired is all."

She lifted her chin in doubt, but went along with it. "Okay. Well, I'm going to go to sleep, so I suggest you make yourself a bed on the floor. Maybe the rug?"

He stood up and ran his fingers through the soft material, lying himself down on it. As much as he wanted to cringe and complain that he could still feel each and every piece of wood beneath it, he wanted to make her happy. So he propped himself up on one elbow, and looked right at her. "Can you give me a pillow?"

She smiled, and threw one right at his face.

"Really Rose?" He laughed, and placed the feathery bolster beneath his head. "How dare you treat your husband in such a manor?"

Rose felt her cheeks heat up. She loved this playful side of Dimitri, and she wasn't going to let her exhaustion get in the way of it. "Apologies, my lord. T'was just trying to play around."

He smirked. "Now's not the time for playing around, dear Rose." He rolled over and put his elbow under his head. "Go to sleep."

She didn't speak after that, but she did try her best to quietly slip out of her dress. Unfortunately for her, she couldn't reach the straps behind her. And as much as she didn't want to bother Dimitri, she didn't want to sleep in the dress, and she wouldn't be able to go to sleep in it if she tried.

"Comrade?"

His head immediately shot up, and he looked at her solemnly. "What's wrong?"

She shook her head. "Nothing. I just can't reach the straps on the back of my dress. Would you mind untying them for me?"

Dimitri didn't hesitate. He wasn't the only one that got a sense of familiarity at the sight and smell of the room. He figured if he felt her skin beneath his fingers, this room wouldn't necessarily be the only thing he remembered.

Pulling from one of the tassels on her dress, the tightly woven bow that had been tied by Adrian fell away, and he began pulling each piece of string from the small holes in the back of the dress, and watching as more and more of it fell away from her body. Her skin was soft against his, and the different spots his fingers touch turn a bright red. As much as Rose wanted to pull away and go to sleep with her dress still on, she stood still, rolling her eyes as she continued to feel his fingers lightly touch her bare back.

Breaking the silence, she spoke. "Are you done yet?"

Dimitri jumped a bit, and released the tassels, backing up to a safe distance. "Sorry." He paused, and sat back down on the carpet. "Goodnight, Rose."

She nodded at him and blew out the small candles on the wall.

* * *

 _"This room is wonderful, Comrade."_

 _All Dimitri could see was her. Her hair cascading down her shoulders, the dress that didn't leave much to the imagination, and the bright eyes that lit up every time she smiled in her direction._

 _He grinned back at her and grabbed her hand. "I'm glad you like it, Roza."_

 _She released his hand and began pacing the suite, her eyes growing wide at the large bed in the center of the room. She wasn't sure of Dimitri's intentions, but it wasn't like she was going to say no to him._

 _"Did you enjoy dinner?" She asked, nervous about his feelings on the meal she prepared. Rose was never one for cooking but he_ _r wish was to be able to make something in the kitchen without a pail of water nearby or her mother over her shoulder._

 _Dimitri cringed at the mere thought of the night's meal. It was absolutely disgusting; nothing like what her mother usually prepared. He knew it had been Rose's doing, but he wasn't about to break her spirits. "It was wonderful."  
_

 _And Rose, not being slow in the brain, knew he was lying. "I know it was gross, Comrade. You can be honest."_

 _He approached her slowly, wrapped and arm around her waist, and nuzzled her shoulder. "It's okay Roza. I'll cook for you."_

 _She tilted her neck, awaiting a kiss on the sensitive spot she most desperately wanted touched. And as he pressed his lips to the nook below her ear, she asked, "Like what?"_

 _He chuckled against her skin, and pressed his mouth to her ear. "Menemen, kofte, lahmacun, borek, baklava-,"_

 _Rose shook her head against him and turned her head to face him. "No! Russian dishes. I crave Russian food."  
_

 _He smiles and names some of his favorite dishes. "Okay, borscht, blini, shashlik, pelmeni, pirozhki, medovik-,"_

 _"Stop, stop, stop." Rose spoke, placing a single finger on his lips. "You're making me hungry."_

 _Dimitri pushed her hair out of her face and trailed kisses down the side of her face. "I'm hungry too, Roza."_

 _And in that moment, with her one true love entangled around her, she knew he was the one. Well, she'd always felt that he was the one, but she now felt ready to completely give herself to him. She felt ready to expose herself to him in the most bare way possible. She was ready to give away the one thing her mother had warned her about._

 _She remembers being about sixteen, and finally getting up the courage to tell her mother about her growing relationship with Dimitri._

 _~"Mama, I love him. He's the one I want to be with." Rose pleaded with her mother, clasping their hands together as they sat on her bed._

 _Her mother shook her head and sighed. "Rose,_ _nighean, are you sure?" Janine defininitely wasn't sure about it at all. "You're not just saying this because you want the Russian fortune? Rose, please-,"_

 _"I'm not! I do love him." Rose closed her eyes and tried to calm herself down. "I'm not asking for your approval, I'm just letting you know."_

 _Her mother shook her head, and pushed her hair out of her face. "Well, if you want to take your relationship with him," She paused. "To the next level, there's some things you should know."_

 _Rose chuckled, and put a hand in her mother's face. "I know, mother. Kissing. You don't have to worry about that, we've already done it."_

 _Her mother's brows furrowed. "Iosa Crìosd! Rose!"_

 _Rose grinned, and patted her mother's shoulder. "Sorry, Mama. As you were saying?"_

 _Janine put her face in her hands and took a few steadying breaths before speaking. "I'm talking about intercourse, Rose."_

 _Rose lowered her eyes, embarrassed to say that she'd never heard of such a word. Her mother had used it in private conversation with her father, but that still didn't mean she knew what it meant._

 _Her mother eyed her quizzically. "Do you know what that is, darling?"_

 _And with her head hung low, she shook it. "No, Mama. I don't."_

 _Her mother gave her a reassuring smile, and tipped her head up. "It's okay darling. I'm going to break it all down for you."_

 _Rose furrowed her eyebrows. "Should I be worried. I mean, I really don't want to have any gross images in my head-,"_

 _Her mother laughed. "Believe me Rose, you're going to have bad images in your head. But I need you to listen to me, sweetheart."_

 _Rose didn't speak, but her expression let her mother know she was ready to listen._

 _"Intercourse is something that two people do when they love each other."_

 _Rose rolled her eyes. "Obviously, mother."_

 _"Rose, listen to me. It's on a completely different level from kissing. It's much more physical. It gives you such a strong connection. It makes two people one."_

 _Rose's head was spinning. Her and Dimitri had done so much together, it seemed like they couldn't do more. But obviously, she was wrong._

 _"So," Rose started, irritated. "What is it?"_

 _And when her mother began to explain, Rose put her hands over her ears. It's almost as if her ears were going to start bleeding if her mother continued to talk about so-called intercourse._

 _"Ew! Ew, ew, ew! That's disgusting!"_

 _Janine couldn't help but laugh at her daughter's reaction to her words. She saw it coming, considering she reacted the same way when her mother explained it to her._

 _"Rose, it's not disgusting!"_

 _"But," She stammered. "Yes it is! Why would he put his," She trailed off. "In my-,"_

 _"Calm down. Why is this such a shocking thing to you?"_

 _"Because! It's so," She paused for a moment. "Degrading! Why should I have to please him? Just to end up pregnant?"_

 _Janine brushed her daughter's hair out of her face. "It's not just for him, sweetheart."_

 _"Huh?"_

 _"It feels good for you too. And it's not just for making babies, Rose. It's for pleasure, for fun. For both of you."_

 _And when her mother told her that, she realized that she wasn't so scared of that tingly feeling she felt down under every time he touched her skin or kissed her neck or breathed on her softly.~_

 _So Rose got up the courage to say this._

 _"I'm not just hungry for food."_

 _Dimitri turned her around to face him, and pressed a kiss to her lips. "Hmm," He started, pulling her sleeves off her shoulders. "Are you sure, Roza? We don't have to do anything you don't want to."_

 _And when Rose felt that small twitch in her deepest crevice, and her heart rate increase, she knew it was the right time. It was time for the two of them to give themselves up to each other._

 _"Yes." She began, pulling the dress all the way down, and revealing her bare breasts. "I want you. So badly."_

 _And before she knew it, he'd taken her to the bed._

 _It all felt like a blur, to the both of them. Quickly, quicker than Rose and Dimitri expected, the two of them were stripped down naked, placing kisses on random spots on each other's bodies. Dimitri ran his hands up and down her body, caressing her every curve. She wanted to memorize the feeling of his fingers on every inch of her skin, his lips hungrily tasting whatever parts of her it could, and their short breaths intertwining as they kissed over, and over, and over again._

 _And then it was happening._

 _Two people became one._

 _And every warning-more like every small detail to be excited about-her mother heeded fell away as her body intertwined with Dimitri's. And not only that, but she finally realized that her mother wasn't her enemy. She always believed that her mother put lies into her head to keep her from doing things she deemed irresponsible, but this time she realized that her old coot of a mother was right-this felt amazing. As if with every back and forth motion, every thrust, her body, his body, kept climbing higher and higher. Her breaths became shallow, and small, quick moans emerged from her mouth._

 _Dimitri was loving it. He'd waited for this moment since he realized he loved Rose, but never once did he think about pressuring her, or bringing it up randomly in conversation. After all, he was a couple years older than she was, but that didn't distract him from the fact that this wasn't just Rose's first time. It was his too._

 _He'd only fantasized about her body, and secretly watched her undress from time to time, but he never thought she'd actually let him touch her, or caress her the way he was. They'd kissed, plenty of times, and he'd touched her over her layers of dresses and corsets, but now he got to hold her bare skin in his hands, feel her breasts and her hips at his fingertips. And the feeling of being connected to her, with their most intimate parts, was virtually a dream come true. For both of them._

 _Rose's head was spinning. With doubts, first off, but also with fear. She was afraid that she wasn't good at it, afraid that he'd be comparing her to other people the whole time, but mostly, she was afraid that this would change things._

 _Until he began speaking. Murmuring things to her in Russian, but a few things that have never once left her mind, in English._

 _"You feel so good, my Roza."_

 _"Do you like this?"_

 _"Louder. Let it out."_

 _"That's right, tell me where you like it."_

 _"I love you so much, Roza."_

 _And in that moment, she realized that her doubts were unprecedented. Her body was on fire, her emotions were going crazy, and she knew he was the one. The one she's meant to be with. The one she loves more than anyone else in the world. And he was feeling exactly the same._

 _Dimitri had learned a lot from his sisters, especially about romancing a woman. Their past relationships, mostly ones he heard about from his sister Sonya, who had a knack for sleeping around, and she told him everything about how to make her feel special, and like she was 'doing it right'. A while everything she said entered and reentered his mind, he didn't feel like he 'had' to say those things to her. He wanted to. She did feel good, he wanted to make sure he was doing things she liked, he wanted her to be loud so he knew just how much she was enjoying it, and he sure as hell loved her. More than he loved anyone else._

 _And before she knew it, the sweet sensation she had been feeling intensified, almost as if a bomb were about to burst within her. And when it did, boy did Dimitri know about it._

 _She cried out, louder than she ever had, and felt small, muscular contractions ripple through her. Shortly after she came undone, so did he. He grunted and slowed his movements, until he completely stilled and gently touched his forehead to hers._

 _Dimitri pressed a small kiss to her lips, and felt her sweat mix with his. She kissed him back and nudged him a bit with her nose._

 _"Are you okay, Roza?"_

 _She wrapped an arm around his body, mimicking the same motion her legs were doing, and pulled him closer. "That was amazing."_

 _He kissed her between her breasts and looked at her admiringly. "It was. I love you Roza."_

 _"I love you more, Comrade."_

And when Dimitri woke up in sweat, he knew something was definitely wrong.

* * *

He'd been sitting there panting for a hot minute before Rose heard his hyperventilation and sat up in bed.

"Dimitri?" She asked, quickly lighting a candle before peering over at the towering Russian panting on the ground. "Are you okay?"

He looked over at her, his eyes wide with admiration, and he shook his head, trying to wipe what he knows is a terrified look off his face, he spoke. "I'm fine. I'm fine, _Roza_. I'm fine."

Rose felt her cheeks heat up. That was the first time he'd said her nickname since they'd been together, and she couldn't believe the words had even came out of his mouth. Her pulse increased, her breathing quickened, and she wanted to be close to him. Even if she couldn't love him like she wanted to, she wanted to be near him.

"You look really uncomfortable on the floor there." She said nervously, her eyes moving around the room oddly. "If you want to, you can," She paused and swallowed. "Um, sleep up here. With me."

His eyes widened, but he kept his cool. "No. It's fine. Just go back to sleep, Rose."

She put her foot down. "No. I owe you. You've been nothing but nice to me, you've taken care of me, and I'm not about to let you sleep on the fucking floor. Get up here right now, Comrade."

Dimitri rose slowly, his bare chest protruding as his frame came before her. She scooted over as he set his pillow down, and lied beside her. And before she blew out the candle, he reached over and grabbed her hand.

Looking in her eyes, he spoke as solemnly as he could without breaking down. "Rose?"

"Yeah, Comrade?" She answered.

"Were we together?"

She frowned, and eyed him idly. "What do you mean?"

He brushed his hair from his face, and took a deep breath. "Were we a couple? Were we in love?"

And in that moment, Rose felt her throat close up.

* * *

 **Well there you have it!**

 **I really hope this makes up for me not updating! I'm really proud of this chapter, and I think the next chapter will be even better because Rose does something very selfless.**

 **Also, if you haven't already, please check out Wake Me Up Inside by one of my favorite PM buddies Lea0014, it frustrates the hell out me because I can't for the life of me predict ANYTHING. I love it.**

 **I actually have a chapter in the works for Do You Think Of Me, so it'll be coming soon.**

 **Thanks for reading guys!**

 **-Tay**


	6. I Wish You Knew

_**I'm going to apologize in advance for this chapter. I already know it's going to piss a lot of people off.**_

 ** _Like I said in my last, really long A/N, the story will resolve itself, it's marked D &R for a reason._**

 ** _Tbh, I'm that type of person who likes to write about the chase, everything leading up to the two people getting together, and spoiler alert, it's going to happen. Not for a very long time, but it will happen. There's so much more to this story than just that, though. It's going to get extremely complicated._**

 ** _And btw, this chapter also ends on a cliffhanger... ;)_**

 ** _Just to reiterate this, please don't freak out about this. Please don't be rude if things don't go the way you planned for them to go, or in a direction you don't like. Again, it's still my story, and again, it will end on a good note. I don't plan on doing a sequel, but you never know, plans could change :)_**

 ** _And, I'm not sure when I'll be finished with the DYTOM update, my documents on my computer are fucked up, and I had the entire first half or so of the next chapter in Microsoft word. I apologize for that._**

 ** _As always, I don't own Vampire Academy, but in no way, shape, or form should this be duplicated without explicit permission!_**

 ** _On with the chapter._**

* * *

Dimitri blinked at her while waiting for an answer.

And Rose had no idea what to say to him. Her morals and her gut were at a clash, a head on collision that threw her for a whim. She wanted to spill the truth more than ever, in hopes that maybe, just maybe, his memories would come flooding back, but she'd already tried it, numerous times, and knew there was no way she'd be able to manipulate his amnesiatic mind. What would it be worth if she did tell him the truth? Him lashing out and thinking that she's a manipulative monster? Him growing more confused than he already is? But if she does lie, the way it always does with Rose, it's going to come back and bite her in the ass. Then Dimitri would hate her forever. She lost either way.

But with pleading eyes, she knew he was begging for an answer. An answer that she wasn't sure she could give.

She just needed to stall him, without giving anything away.

So Rose blew out the candle anyway, and breathed in heavily. "Go to sleep, Dimitri."

He huffed to himself, frustration pooling in his blood. His dream had confused him immensely, and he wouldn't be able to fall asleep without some kind of answer from Rose.

"I'm not joking, Rose. Answer the question."

"Were we together?" She mocked.

He sighed heavily. "Yes. That question, Rose."

She pursed her lips, yawning before she finished. "Answer a question for me first."

"Rose-,"

"Do you want to know or not?" She raised her voice, and shut him up quickly.

He whispered a quiet "yes," before lying in silence beside her.

"Why did you call me _Roza?"_

Dimitri wasn't even sure why he called her that. He heard himself say it in his twisted vision, and liked the way it rolled off his tongue. He hadn't called her that in years; since the two of them had been close friends, but he halted himself from using such a word when he began his relationship with Saige, as she deemed a 'term of endearment' far to inappropriate for a friendship. He found that it slipped from his mouth without him even noticing, the way it used to years ago.

"It just slipped." He claimed. "Rose, just answer the question."

"Why?"

"Because I asked you too."

Rose huffed. "Where is this even coming from?"

"Why are you being so stubborn?"

"Because this is not a question I wish to answer."

"Dammit Rose-,"

"Just tell me why you want to know."

"The more you continue to evade the question, the more I think it's true, and-,"

"Just drop it!" She yelled, rolling away from him and facing the wall. "You're with Saige! You love Saige! What does it matter if you and I were together?"

"Because I'd at least want to remember it."

"Well since you don't, we couldn't have been. It was probably just a dream."

"A dream?" He asked sarcastically.

"Yes. A dream. Now go to sleep and have some more." She spat, and silenced herself.

And for a moment, Dimitri tried to get himself back into slumber, but to no avail. Every time he shut his eyes, visions of his previous dream flashed before him. Rose beneath him, moaning, gripping his back for dear life, and the soft white sheets that surrounded him. He at least had to let it out, the dream he'd had, in hopes that maybe, just maybe, Rose would spill the truth; his dream seemed _too real_ to be just that.

"It was one hell of a dream." He whispered, trying to hide back a laugh. He knew he was pissing her off.

She groaned, and turned to face him yet again. "You're not going to shut up about this, are you?"

He silently chuckled. "Nope."

She propped herself on her elbow, and sighed heavily. "Well, go on then."

"What?"

"Tell me about your stupid dream."

Dimitri thought for a moment, and then he spoke. "Well, you and I, well..." He trailed off.

"We what?"

"We, um, we..."

"Can you spit it out?" She mocked.

He didn't answer.

"You had a dream we had sex, didn't you?"

He didn't answer again.

"How typical of the male specimen." She laughed, trying her best to cover up her nervousness, considering they had actually had sex in that very bed. "Little bit of midnight wood, huh Comrade?"

"Shut up."

"Is that all?" She chuckled.

"Well, there's something else." He stammered, trying his best not to stutter.

"Ugh," She began, flipping her hair to the other side of the pillow. "What now?"

"It's just, it felt so _real._ " He began, knotting his fingers together. "Too real to be a dream. But, you said so yourself, nothing happened between us."

Rose felt a pang of guilt at lying to him. His voice was so sincere, deep and husky, almost begging for Rose to cave and tell them about the night of passion they'd had in the very room. She wanted to recreate her eighteenth birthday right then and there with him. She wanted him to love her the way he did that night, raw and feral, as if they'd never touched each other until that very moment. Although that night thereafter hadn't been the only time they'd had sex, it was the one she remembered most vividly, the one she fantasized about during her spare time, when she hadn't been cleaning up after Saige. But she figured she could get away with something. Maybe she could tell a little half-lie, just to make herself feel better, but also so she wouldn't have to listen to the awfully disappointed-sounding inflection in his voice. Why would he sound disappointed about not sleeping with her anyway? He was with Saige, and from her point of view, he was quite happy about it. Almost too happy for her liking. Although, he hadn't seen Rose in about three years since the night of the dinner party, it's no surprise that whenever she listened in on Saige reading the letters from him to herself in her study made him sound like he had everything he'd ever wanted. Family fortune, a fiance to allow him to continue his royal line, and a newly-built Russian palace with his name on it.

Despite his riches, she still felt like she owed him. Because beneath that hard exterior, she knew, was a big softy, who like everyone else, needed someone to be real with him. At least, real enough, and not make him feel like he slept through an entire portion of his life.

So she resorted to the one thing she knew she was good at.

Lying.

"Okay fine. I give in." She spoke quietly, holding her breath as she waited for his response.

"Huh?" He asked, sounding as if he was starting to doze off. "You give what?"

"We were together. Once. Super drunk." She was making this up as she went. "At least you were anyway."

He sat up, and could feel his eyes widening. Despite his loyalty and mellow feelings for Saige, hearing that he once got to caress and love Rose made his heart twinge.

And he hated himself for it.

Ignoring his guilt, he spoke impulsively. "Tell me more."

"Um, well, it was my eighteenth birthday, you took me out as a friend, we were tired, and you were wasted, so we stopped at this inn, and things escalated." She spoke so fast, she was sure her head was spinning.

"That's it?" He asked, feeling almost disappointed, but trying to sound in control.

She nodded to herself. "Yep. That's it."

"That's not at all what my dream was like." He said to himself as he laid back down next to her.

She rolled over to face the wall again, trying not to breakdown and tell the truth. "I don't know what to tell you. That's the only time we were together. Now go to sleep."

And as she tried to keep her eyes shut, his refused to close all together.

That dream felt way too real to be fake, and he definitely didn't feel drunk at all. He could feel everything, almost in a heightened state. The sound of Rose's soft murmurs in his ear, the feeling of her nails running down his back, and their two bodies connected at the core. He could almost smell the sweat and soft Jasmine perfume she'd been wearing, her hair sticking to both their foreheads, and the 'I love you's' being thrown around left and right. Her explanation was nothing like the passionate, intimate, so-called sleep-induced moment the two of them had shared. But why would she lie to him? She hadn't ever lied to him before, why would she start now?

And before he dozed off, he placed a kiss on the cheek of a still-wide-awake Rose, and whispered, "Goodnight, _Roza."_

* * *

Dawn came earlier than Rose expected.

She barely slept a wink the night before, guilt eating away at her insides, and her cheek still burning from the small kiss Dimitri left her before dozing off himself. It was as if her brain told her entire body, each and every nerve ending, to push her and pull her until she was so exhausted she couldn't help but fall asleep. She could see the sun beginning to rise when her eyes finally shut.

"Did you sleep well?" Dimitri asked her, throwing their things into a bag and placing his duster over his shoulders. "I could feel you tossing around."

Rose shook her head, her brown locks hanging over her shoulder dullfully. "No. This bed felt like wood in my back." More like 'This bed brought up memories of us doing naughty things together.'

"C'mon Rose. You can sleep more when we get to the ship."

"Easy for you to say, Mr. I-Can-Sleep-Anywhere-Like-A-Fucking-Baby. Who knows? This next bed might be made of goddamn cement."

He chuckled, reaching for her hand to help her up. "Stop whining. I'll make sure we sleep separately tonight. I could tell it was bothering you."

 _You have no idea,_ she thought.

"It wasn't that bad, Comrade." She began, pulling her her hair into a braid as she stuck her feet in her shoes. "Not as bad as when you and I had to sleep in that shed."

They both laughed, reminiscing in the past; a time that Rose would give anything to relive, and mostly, she was happy that he at least remembered their friendship.

 _"Where are we?" Rose asked, running through the alley with her best friend trailing behind her. She couldn't seem wipe the grin she'd been wearing all night off her face. They were both lucky they made it past the guard; sneaking out from the manor is hard to do._

 _"I have no idea." He laughed, grasping her hand when he caught up to her and pulling her along down the dark street._

 _"How the hell are we gonna get home?" Rose asked, stopping for a moment to catch her breath. "If my mother finds out she'll send the entire Turkish army to find us. And she'll have your head."_

 _"I'm not sure, Roza." He said, pushing his brown locks out of his face. "And you'd save my head, wouldn't you?"_

 _She glared at him mischievously. "No promises." She paused for a moment, and looked at him. "Do you think we could ever do it?"_

 _He looked at her quizzically. "Do what?"_

 _"Run away. Like we always talked about."_

 _He smiled and sat next to her on the cold, dark ground. "I don't know. If I ever got the chance, I'd pick you up and we'd be off."_

 _"What if we ran away tonight. Just dropped everything and left."_

 _"We can't do that, Rose."_

 _"Why the hell not?" She stood up and put her hands on her hips. "Neither of us want to be monarchs, neither of us care about the money, what's the point of staying? Waiting for your balls to drop?"_

 _"Rose-,"_

 _"Are you not man enough to leave? The ONLY thing keeping me from going is you. Why, Dimitri?"_

 _"I can't leave my family. And neither can you. Just because you don't want to be a monarch means you have a choice."_

 _Rose, crossed her arms, and smirked a bit. "I don't have to marry you. We don't even like each other like that so what's the point?"_

 _Dimitri scoffed. "I'm going to be the next Russian monarch no matter what." Standing up, he took both her hands in his. "It's in my best interest to marry a member of your family. I've never met any of your cousins or nieces and I definitely don't want your sister. Even if you are just my friend, my best friend, as a matter of fact, I'd rather be stuck with you."_

 _And with that, her anger was gone. "I'd be a Russian queen."_

 _Rose had never really thought about what life would be like as Queen of Russia, let alone Dimitri's wife. These were only things she'd dreamed about, belonging to him, and ruling his beautiful homeland together. She could feel her stomach tightening the way it did whenever he spoke of her to his mother, his persistence to spend his life with Rose. And whenever his mother would question him, he'd adamantly repeat himself, to the point of storming out the room, leaving just a small window of time for Rose to scurry away and hide in her chambers, where he would ultimately find her and tell her of his annoyance with his mother. She'd do her best to be facing the opposite direction when he found her so he wouldn't see the wide grin on her face at the thought of belonging to him._

 _"Yes you would." He chuckled, twirling her playfully. "Tzarina Rosemarie Belikova."_

 _"Hey!" She said, looking at him with hooded eyes and trying to ignore the flutter in her stomach. "I wouldn't get to keep my last name?"_

 _He shook his head. "I don't think it works that way."_

 _"It should." She said, dusting herself off dramatically. "Your name should be Dimitri Mazur."_

 _Dimitri smiled, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "If that made you happy, then that would be my name."_

 _Rose looked at him suspiciously. "You know, you're too nice to me."_

 _"What? Do you want me to be mean to you?"_

 _"No, but you have no reason to be this nice to me."_

 _"I actually have every reason to be nice to you."_

 _As they began walking again, she asked, "And those are?"_

 _"Well, you're my best and only friend." He said, doing his best to conjure up everything in his mind that he loved about Rose. "You light up an entire room just by being there. You know how to make me laugh, or brighten my mood when I'm upset. You know what I like, what I dislike. You know how I'm feeling just by looking at me. You love me for me, not for my money. Like I said before, I'd rather marry you than anyone else."_

 _"So you're saying that you'd rather marry me than someone you actually like?"_

 _"Yes."_

 _"Have you even considered the fact that their are many fine women around here that you could actually be in a relationship with?"_

 _Dimitri had never thought about another woman in his life, especially not with Rose around. In his eyes, she was enough, almost too much estrogen for him to handle. He had his mother, his three sisters, and Rose. His family already loved her like their own, and her family liked him enough to agree to let him marry her; he never assumed he'd meet anyone else out there, and he hadn't at that point._

 _"I almost feel like I'd be betraying you if their were another woman in my life."_

 _Rose couldn't help but smile, and she flung herself at her best friend. He grabbed her immediately, and held her as she held him. "You're such a sap, Comrade."_

 _"But you love it."_

 _"I do," Rose started, detaching herself from him, despite her innate comfort in his arms. "But you shouldn't let me get in the way of you finding love. What about continuing your lineage?"_

 _Dimitri scratched the back of his head, and looked at the groun_ _d. "I figured, well, you and I would do that."_

 _Rose's eyes widened, and her mouth opened in shock._

 _Quickly wanting to fix his mistake, Dimitri took a step back. "Obviously, we don't have to, but I just assumed-,"_

 _"I agreed to be your wife." Rose stammered, trying to compose herself, and hide the fact that she didn't even know how making babies worked. "Not the mother of your children."_

 _Dimitri felt awful. He assumed she'd already seen this coming, and knowing that she hadn't made him feel even worse. "I'm sorry Rose. We don't have too." He strode toward her and pulled her into another hug. "Two of my sisters have children. My lineage will continue whether you and I have children or not. Don't feel bad."_

 _Rose couldn't believe what she was hearing. She knew the one thing Dimitri wanted in life was to find love and start a family. It wasn't even because of his duties as a Russian monarch, it was just Dimitri. He'd spend hours telling Rose about the kind of father he'd be and different names he liked for boys and names he liked for girls. Rose even agreed on some._

 _"I'm sorry, Comrade." Rose said quietly, brushing some of her hair from her face, beginning a stride forward. He slowly began to follow, and felt his heart drop. "I'm messing everything up for you."_

 _He jogged a bit to catch up to her and placed a hand on his shoulder. "No, Roza, no. This is my choice. You're my best girl. I can't imagine spending my life with anyone else."_

 _Rose looked at him quizzically. "You know, you're quite grown for seventeen."_

 _Dimitri smiled. "And I'll do just about anything for my fourteen-year-old companion."_

 _"And it seems a bit odd that you'd throw your life away for me. We're friends."_

 _Dimitri swallowed hard. Rose constantly reiterated that the two of them were nothing more than friends, but Dimitri couldn't help it. He'd fallen quite hard for his best friend, and he hated himself for it. Despite the fact that she was younger than him, an age difference that wouldn't matter much when they were both adults, he wanted more. He wanted her to want to be his wife. His real wife. A wife for him to cherish and love, to father children with, to grow old with. Not a wife that he's bound to because his family needs him to do them a favor. But, better it be his best friend than her sister._

 _"It's because I love you Roza. You'll always be my best friend, and I'm willing to give that away for you."_

 _Rose couldn't hold back anymore. She'd begun to notice small knots in her chest and a flutter in her stomach when Dimitri said things like that to her; even when he looked at her. She didn't know what to do with those feelings, and she surely wouldn't tell him about it either. He was her best friend, and her springing that on him would just mess everything up._

 _"Rose, I'm-,"_

 _"Hey! You two! What are you doing?"_

 _Their heads shot up, landing on some Turkish guardsmen with candles in their hands glaring right at them. Dimitri immediately began to panic, looking in different directions for a way out, while Rose was already running._

 _Dimitri immediately began to follow her, questioning her different turns and hidden alleyways she'd chosen to follow, but the guard were still behind them, quickly catching up to their trail. Rose was confident in her stride, as she'd been in these parts before, and was completely correct in her assumption that Dimitri would ultimately follow without question. The quicker and quieter they got out of there the better, and the least likely they were to be recognized._

 _He eventually caught up with Rose, but his feet were aching. He knew she spent her time running around the Manor's property, chasing her horses, and, on occasion, playing with her sister, so her running long distances at a relatively high-speed was no problem for her. But him on the other hand, spent most of his time meeting with members of his parliament, discussing his roles as the future monarch, and sitting up with Rose and talking for hours. This was the first time he'd actually been able to go out somewhere with her, even if it was sneaking out and exploring the city under the radar._

 _Not so much under the radar anymore, considering they'd just gotten caught._

 _"Hurry up, Comrade!" Rose yelled, doing her best to keep and eye on him and where she was going. "I know where we can go."_

 _And with that, Dimitri sped up. He forced his feet to go faster and follow Rose through the many twists and turns of the small houses and shops and alleyways. The light of the moon guided him as he ran behind Rose, and he knew it was close to dawn; if they didn't make it back to the manor by sunrise Rose was dead and Dimitri was going to be shipped back off to Russia in no time._

 _And before the both of them knew it, they'd lost the guardsmen. Rose and Dimitri both pressed their backs to a small, wooden house within a small shopping square, taking a moment to breathe. Rose clutched his hand, holding on for dear life, and took a few more deep breaths before speaking. "Come here."_

 _She pulled him along until they reached a small shed behind another house, hidden by some trees and other biennial around the abode. She opened it quickly, pulling him in and shutting the door._

 _"What are we doing in here, Roza?" He asked, trying to feel his way around the enclosed space._

 _"Trust me. I've hidden in here before." She whispered._

 _"That's not what I asked you."_

 _"The city guardsmen most likely recognized me. The rest of the guard will be out here looking for us any time now. This is where we'll be safe."_

 _"And what will we tell your parents?"_

 _"I'll tell them that you wanted to take me out into the city. I'll say that I forgot where we were going and we got lost. We wandered around all night until we got back. I'll take the fall for all of it. Don't you worry, Comrade."_

 _He scoffed, shaking his head despite the fact that she can't see him. "I don't feel comfortable with you doing that."_

 _"Believe me, pissing my father off is not a good idea. I'd rather I do it than you."_

 _"And what about the guard?"_

 _"My parents will believe me over the guard. I'll say it was a look-alike."_

 _Dimitri chuckled softly, and gripped her hand tighter. "It looks like you've got this all worked out, huh?"_

 _"Of course I do. Now I'm going to sleep." She said nonchalantly, trying to lie down and position herself as comfortably as she could. According to what she felt, there was some straw in the shed, and that was about it. It made the wood in her back a little less piercing._

 _"You want us to sleep in here?"_

 _"Where the hell else do you want to sleep? In a tree?"_

 _"Well no, but-,"_

 _"So shut up and lay down. I'll wake up when I hear movement outside. Then we'll g_ _o home. Like you said, I got this under control."_

 _Despite being skeptical of their sleeping arrangements, there was no one Dimitri trusted more than Rose. So obeying her wishes, he lied down beside her and shut his eyes._

"That was one hell of a night, wasn't it?" He chuckled, smiling at her widely. It was one of his fondest memories of her. Before everything got crazy and changed out of nowhere. It was the one time he remembered the both of them being immensely happy and carefree.

"Yeah, it was Comrade." She kept her cool in front her him, despite her quick recollection of that night. If she'd known back then what baby-making consisted of, she'd have married him right there. "Well, enough reminiscing. What's the pain-stakingly sweaty and annoying itinerary for today?"

He glared at her for a moment. "Well, considering where we're at, we'll reach the harbor in about two hours. Then we'll be on the boat for about thirty days."

With those words, Rose didn't think her eyes could get any wider. "Thirty days! Are you kidding me? What is this, a year-long fucking safari?"

"I told you before, this is going to take about eight months there and eight months back. Not that you had a choice."

"Excuse me? I have a fucking choice. I could've left you last night and been anywhere by now."

"And why didn't you?"

"What?"

"Why didn't you go?"

"Because I actually give a shit about the outcome of this. I get my father back. The only reason you're going to get in the good with my sister. How fucking typical."

"I didn't have to go if hadn't wanted to either. I had a choice."

"Saige made it pretty clear that you were going, Comrade. I doubt you took the time to argue with her."

"If I'd refused, she would've sent someone else."

"And how do you know that?"

Swallowing, he told her the truth. "She told me the night before we left."

Rose cocked her head to the side, trying to hide her smirk. "So the real question is, why did you come?"

Dimitri shook his head, and turned toward the door. "We have to go."

Rushing to block his path, Rose slammed herself against the wood and braced herself with her arms. "Oh no, Comrade. That's not how it works. I can start naming off guesses, if that'd be easier?"

"Get out of my way, Rose."

"No."

"I'll move you, then."

Gripping her waist, and feeling the spark of heat at his fingertips when their bodies made contact, he hoisted her up, and set her aside. Rose fought the whole time, as usual, thrashing and throwing herself all around in an attempt to loosen his grip, but to no avail. But, she took this as a sign of karma: she lied to him last night, and now she doesn't get the answers she wants. _That's how the universe works,_ she thought.

That still didn't take away her anger.

Brushing himself off, Dimitri huffed. "Now, I'm leaving with or without you. You can either behave yourself and come along or you can continue your little tantrum in here by yourself." And with that, he was out the door.

And knowing she was in deep shit if she didn't go, she silently followed him out the door.

* * *

The boat was gross.

And not like dilapidated and old gross, like so many people were sea-sick and puking gross. Rose was never one to acquire motion sickness, but seeing so many Lords and Ladies throwing up on the deck made her want to repeat their actions. They hadn't yet been given a room, so all Rose could really do was stare at her feet and pray she didn't vomit all over her new dress.

"Are you okay, Rose?" Dimitri asked her, looking over at her in concern. She was looking more and more green each minute.

"I'm not okay." She said slowly. "I'm about to puke out my guts."

"Are you seasick? Oh Rose, I'm so sorry-,"

"No I'm not seasick, you idiot! I've had to watch at least fifty people throw up on this deck, and if I see one more person get sick I'm going to do the very same. "

He said nothing else to her at that point, but instead he found a stewardess to usher them to their cabin.

Rose slowly felt her nausea ease up the farther away they got from the vomiting. He gripped her hand the whole way, making sure she was balanced and didn't wind up getting sick herself.

"Here is your cabin, Mr. Belikov."

The room wasn't anything too special, just a small bed, and candle, and some drawers for their things. Although it wasn't much, it was a lot better than being on the deck, listening to what seemed like a thousand people throwing up.

"Do you feel better now?" He asked her, sitting her down on the bed slowly. He still had her hand in his, making sure she was stable.

"Much better, Comrade." She replied, lying down on the bed. The slow rocking of the boat began to lull her off, without her even noticing.

He stood up and chuckled at her. "Tired?"

She nodded, trying to keep her eyes open. "Very. I can't keep my damn eyes open."

He laughed, and she smiled a bit, too exhausted to give anymore than that. "Well, I'll let you get some rest. I'll be on the deck if you need me, okay?"

She nodded, and before she knew it, she passed out.

Waking up in an unfamiliar place is terrifying. Especially when your Rose Mazur.

As soon as her eyes opened from her century-long nap, the entire cabin was pitch-black, and all she could smell were oysters. She tried not to panic, or scream, so she began feeling her way to the door.

She was reluctant to go back onto the deck. Not only was she afraid that she'd see more people vomiting, but she was afraid she looked too much like a wreck to be presentable in front of anyone. But, she had to find Dimitri, and he said he'd be in the one place she didn't want to go. The fucking deck.

As she made her way up, she did her best to part and flatten out her hair. She smoothed down her dress and pulled her top up a bit, as her breasts were practically spilling out.

Reaching the deck, she was happy to see no more vomiting, but what she did see caused time to stop for a moment.

"Adrian?"

Looking over at her, and stumbling a bit, Adrian Ivashkov turned to face the direction of the soft voice that called his name. And drunk or not, he knew that voice. He'd thought about her non-stop, and seeing her made him sober up a bit.

"Rose?" He slurred, grinning widely and tripping a bit as he approached her. "What a-a-are you d-doing here?"

Ignoring all the question she wanted to ask him, she cocked her head to the side, and stepped a bit closer to catch him as he fell forward. "That's besides the point. You're drunk."

"Very." He said, pushing away from her and nearing the edge of the ship, leaning himself over the railing.

"What are you doing?" She asked, stepping a bit closer to him. "You're going to fall in, Adrian."

"Don't you worry about me, little princess. The water will catch me."

"No Adrian, don't-,"

And before she could react, a very drunk Adran Ivashkov flung himself into the ocean.

"Adrian!" She screamed, running over to the railing, in search of the stupid drunk. She could faintly see him, the deck was only lit by candles, and the moon was hidden beneath a thick stretch of clouds. She could faintly see him attempting to tread water, and failing miserably at it.

"Fuck!"

Ever since she was a little girl, Rose had wanted to be a hero. Nowadays she was more of a hero that cussed a lot, but she still wanted to do something that bettered someone else. Besides, Adrian had done something for her that she never thought she could repay, until now.

So throwing caution to the wind, Rose hopped over the railing and fell in after him.

* * *

 _ **Sorry?**_

 _ **I know a lot of you are going to be disappointed with how Rose handled his question, but believe me, she did it for a reason.**_

 _ **But I told you guys Adrian would be back... tada!**_

 _ **I hope (at least some of you) liked this part... *wakes up the next morning to a digital lynch mob***_

 _ **I just really want to reassure you guys that this will end on a very good note. You just have to trust me.**_

 _ **And, you will be seeing flashbacks quite often, they fill in some gaps, and will help tie everything together in the end.**_

 ** _See ya in the next one!_**

 ** _-Tay_**


End file.
